By Louis Bonnette 

Special to the American Press

Rain shortened the Women’s All Pro Tour L’Auberge Lake Charles Championship to an already played 54 holes and Elodie Chapelet walked off with the title Saturday.

In a statement from tournament director and WAPT president Gary DeSererando he said that “due to heavy rains Saturday morning creating unplayable course conditions (at the Contraband Bayou Golf Club) the tournament has been shortened to 54 holes.”

The victory was a pro career first for Chapelet, a former Baylor University standout and native of France who has also played on the Epson tour. She held the lead from the start, having shot a pair of 66s the first two rounds and even though producing only an even par 71 the third day, she won the title by three shots with her 203 total.

The victory was worth $10,000 to the champion.

Elizabeth Wang of San Marino, Calif., claimed second place and $5,800 with her 206 total while Virunpat Olankitkuncha of Thailand shot 207 for third place and $4,100. All 48 players who made the 36 hole cut collected a check.

The tournament was the second and final one of the year in Louisiana. The first had been the Northshore Championship in Mandeville that was won by Yiyi Liu of California in a five hole playoff. She did not play this week.

The tour now swings into Texas with the next event being the Wichita Falls Championship in Wichita Falls in two weeks.

This was the fourth WAPT tournament in the area as the first three were played at the National in Westlake. The event is scheduled to be held again next year at L’Auberge.

The WAPT, which began in 2019, is a path to the Epson Tour which sends its qualifying players to the LPGA. The top two players in tournaments on the WAPT tour earn exemptions onto the EPSON tour (the second tier women’s professional tour in the USA) and the top five players at season’s end earn exemptions to Stage II of LPGA qualifying. This year WAPT is conducting tournaments in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Louisiana.