The usual gaggle of spectator carts was haphazardly bobbing and weaving and re-beering around the final two groups of the Lake Charles Toyota city golf tournament late Sunday at Mallard Cove golf course.
Little did they know that the winner was already in the clubhouse.
Phillip Hoffpauir had heard rumors, but even he didn’t really trust the information that his bogey-free, final-round 6-under 66 would be enough to rally from six shots back to claim his fourth city title but his first this century.
“Is that crazy,” he said after finishing at 3-under 213 for the 54-hole tournament to leap-frog seven other golfers on the last day.
Perhaps it was nuts. Still, he had told his family before leaving the house Sunday that “I’m going to go shoot 65 and win the city tourney.”
The wife and daughter laughed at him.
“I think even the dog snickered,” he said. “I didn’t even believe it myself because I don’t shoot 65 very often. But 66 turned out to be enough.”
Barely. And he needed help in what was presumed to be the final time the city tournament will be played at Mallard before it closes and the city gets a new course.
But Sunday the early leaders went through various stages of golf mischief on the back nine before second-round co-leader Hank Shaheen — the reigning state mid-amateur champion — managed to complete a 73 to finish a shot behind.
Bottom line: Hoffpauir was the only golfer to break par Sunday.
Matt Nicholas, whom Hoffpauir joined as a four-time winner — the second-most all time — tied for third with seven-time champion Billy Gabbert at 1-under for the tournament.
Nicholas actually got to 5-under-par for the tournament through 10 holes Sunday, but it all unravelled after a wayward tee shot against a tree on the par-3 11th forced him to take a left-handed shot with a right-handed long iron. His club caught a sprig of grass and led to a rare whiff in the championship flight and a double bogey.
It’s not the kind of shot you practice. And maybe practice really does make perfect.
Don’t tell his usual golf gang at Gray Plantation, but Hoffpauir was spotted at the Gray practice range at 7 a.m. Sunday.
“I was there Saturday morning, too,” he admitted. “The last three days I snuck out there and ‘grinded.’ Our golf group, you can’t grind, that’s a sin, bad karma if they see you out there practicing. So I had to go early so nobody could see me.”
In marked contrast to his last city title, that Gray gang of his was about the extent of the gallery that saw him complete Sunday’s tournament-winning round. In 1999, the final green was overflowing with spectators when he bombed home a 64-foot, 3-inch eagle putt to beat Gabbert by a stroke.
Hoffpauir suspects the handful on hand Sunday were only there out of morbid curiosity.
“I kept asking them why are y’all following me,” he said. “They were secretly waiting on the explosion.”
They were too late. That came Friday when, as Hoffpauir said, “I three-putted a lot of holes coming in and turned a 68 or 69 into a 73.”
It also turned his driver and putter into unusable utensils — Hoffpauir will appreciate the winner’s pro shop gift certificate as much as the trophy after breaking two clubs.
“The driver was an innocent bystander,” he said. “It was a good tee shot (on No 18) but I was just ventng from earlier. When I three-putted the last hole, the putter took a dive ... but it was a cheap putter.”
He followed the 73 with a Saturday 74 that somehow left all his clubs intact.
The thrill seekers in his cozy gallery, however, would come away disappointed Sunday.
“They got to see it on Friday and I guess the were waiting on it today,” Hoffpauir laughed. “But I played too good.”
While the leaders back yonder were making a mess of the backside, Hoffpauir caught fire after making the turn in 2-under. He then birdied No. 10, No. 12 and No. 14 before “maybe the luckiest par I’ve ever made on No. 15.”
“That got me pretty deep under par,” he said, admitting it was the first time he thought about maybe winning the tournament.”
The loyal Gray gang riding side-saddle with him also got curious and the group text messages starting flying with updates on the carnage behind them.
“It was hard to know because our group can give bad information ... you can’t trust anybody,” Hoffpauir said.
After a birdie on 18 to complete the 66, he was on the chipping green, anticipating a playoff, when it became official to join his championships in 1999, 1998 and 1992.
“This is probably the best one,” Hoffpauir said. “I practiced a lot. Probably wasn’t working on the right things, still I practiced. But to be almost 50 years old (this December) and to beat the best players in this city ... it doesn’t happen often and probably won’t happen too often again.
“But I’ll take it when I can get it.”
Past Champions
Past winners of the Lake Charles Toyota city tournament. The tournament was changed to a 54-hole (par 216) format for the championship flight in 1997:
2019 — Phillip Hoffpauir 213
2018 — Neithen Allen 208
2017 — Gage Primeaux 204
2016 — Matt Nicholas 207
2015 — Neithen Allen 209
2014 — Matt Nicholas 212
2013 — Neithen Allen 205
2012 — Robby Going 210
2011 — Jacob LeJeune 214
2010 — Jacob LeJeune 200
2009 — Jason Horn 206
2008 — Robby Going 203
2007 — Blake DeReese 210
2006 — Billy Gabbert 212
2005 — George Cestia 212
2004 — Matt Nicholas 208
2003 — Billy Gabbert 208
2002 — Billy Gabbert 213
2001 — Matt Nicholas 209
2000 — Billy Gabbert 208
1999 — Phillip Hoffpauir 143
1998 — Phillip Hoffpauir 210
1997 — *Billy Gabbert 226
1996 — *+Chris Malone 106
1995 — Billy Gabbert 142
1994 — Brian Hirsch Jr. 146
1993 — Wayne Sweeney 147
1992 — *Phillip Hoffpauir 146
1991 — *+Chris Johnson 110
1990 — David Berry 149
1989 — ++Benny Holcombe 71
1988 — *Lawrence David 146
1987 — Keith Harris 140
1986 — Billy Gabbert 142
1985 — *Rick Woodsen 147
1984 — Don Bladen 146
1983 — Scott Reeves 145
1982 — Billy Trent 143
1981 — Ron O’Brien 147
1980 — Don Scott 139
1979 — Don Scott 142
1978 — Ron O’Brien 151
* — won playoff; + — rain shortened (27 holes); ++ — rain shortened (18 holes).
MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS
Billy Gabbert, 7; Matt Nicholas, 4; Phillip Hoffpauir, 3; Neithen Allen, 3; Robby Going, 2; Jacob LeJeune, 2; Ron O’Brien, 2; Don Scott 2. One each: Blake DeReese, Gage Primeaux, George Cestia, Chris Malone, Brian Hirsch, Jr., Wayne Sweeney, Chris Johnson, Jason Horn, David Berry, Benny Holcombe, Lawrence David, Keith Harris, Rick Woodsen, Don Bladen, Scott Reeves, Billy Trent.
Sunday’s final round scores from the Lake Charles Toyota City Golf Championship at the par 72 Mallard Cove golf course.
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Phillip Hoffpauir 73-74-66—213
Hank Shaheen 75-66-73—214
Matt Nicholas 72-70-73—215
Billy Gabbert 76-67-72—215
Doug Quienalty 68-73-75—216
Reid Giardina 74-72-73—219
Shane Fontenot 73-74-75—222
Logan Kuehn 74-73-75—222
Neithan Allen 72-73-78—223
Channing Kile 76-71-79—226
Zac Barton 77-73-76—226
Gage Primeaux 71-72-84—227
Shane Heinen 77-73-79—229
Jason Horn 78-74-79—231
Kade Hagan 83-68-81—232
FIRST FLIGHT
Blake Dereese 71-83-72—226
Thad Gaspard 80-75-72—227
Jevon Perry 77-76-77—230
John Morrissey 78-76-76—230
Nick Sonnier 76-79-75—230
Donny Abshire 82-73-77—232
Jordan Derouen 82-74-77—233
David Martin 80-79-75—234
Brian Larocca 80-77-78—235
Scott Hall 81-75-81—237
Connor Castille 82-83-75—240
Chris Hood 80-83-84—247
Jaxon Caldwell 94-83-89—266
Chris Boos 77-WD
Ric Speights 78-WD
SECOND FLIGHT
Dave Huber 77-75 —152
Billy Spees 77-77 —154
Scott Quick 73-82 —155
Bill Stevens 74-81 —155
Derek Fontenot 77-78 —155
Austin O’Quinn 78-78 —156
Troy Higginbotham 75-85 —160
Sam Smith 77-84 —161
Brett Ardoin 78-83 —161
Dustin Ratliff 82-81 —163
Steve Welling 79-86 —165
Kevin Primeaux 86-79 —165
Scott Hudson 81-86 —167
Richard Martin 80-88 —168
Terry Hagen 82-87 —169
Collin Castille 92-77 —169
THIRD FLIGHT
Jim Taylor 75-75 —150
Tyler Richard 76-79 —155
Chance Terrell 78-79 —157
Zack Eisner 77-81 —158
Buddy Burks 75-84 —159
Chance Curlee 81-78 —159
Billy Kitley 78-83 —161
Brian Soram 79-82 —161
Scott Theriot 82-79 —161
Minh Nguyen 79-83 —162
Mike Beglis 76-90 —166
Russell Montiville 81-88 —169
Kevin Weise 85-84 —169
Vic Montgomery 88-90 —178
Jake Daughenbaugh 94-86 —180
Hunter Thornton 91-93 —184
Allen Mitchell 85 —-85
FOURTH FLIGHT
William Weise 71-82 —153
Kevin Cart 73-80 —153
Zach Vincent 82-79 —161
Todd Mathis 77-86 —163
Matt Gillespie 78-85 —163
Andrew Worley 79-84 —163
Trey Miller 80-83 —163
Mitch Eubanks 82-82 —164
Sam Powell 86-78 —164
Austin DeReese 86-79 —165
Ian James 82-84 —166
Keith Nugent 81-86 —167
Billy Creel 81-87 —168
Joe Underwood 83-85 —168
Logan Trimm 83-89 —172
Brian Bernhardt 85-87 —172
David Moore 91-87 —178
Mike Yochum 89-WD
FIFTH FLIGHT
Noah Hinton 80-76 —156
Ricky Norwood 75-84 —159
Dwayne Hightower 77-82 —159
Jeff Harper 80-79 —159
Jeff Ardoin 76-84 —160
Ken Alexander 80-80 —160
Sandy Woods 79-83 —162
Marc Lucas 85-78 —163
David Durzan 79-86 —165
Shawn Fontenot 80-87 —167
Randy Billedeaux 84-83 —167
Brock Smith 84-84 —168
Jack Fontenot 93-81 —174
Steve Springer 92-89 —181
Jonathan Courville 93-90 —183
SIXTH FLIGHT
Brad Evans 81-82 —163
Hoss Brown 83-85 —168
Douglas Hartsfield 81-88 —169
Chad Langley 85-85 —170
Aaron Touchstone 84-89 —173
Chris Fontenot 87-87 —174
Joey Adaway 91-86 —177
Brent Soileau 92-85 —177
Karl Bertrand 85-94 —179
Cole Bergeron 86-93 —179
Mike Fontenot 89-92 —181
Huey Hebert 92-90 —182
Zack Hagen 92-93 —185
Michael Carter 93-92 —185
John Ieyoub 95-90 —185
Kerry Joseph 90-97 —187
SEVENTH FLIGHT
Greg Norsworthy 85-78 —163
Logan Landry 83-85 —168
Mike Fusilier 83-92 —175
Bryon Stevens 86-95 —181
Carl Cole 89-94 —183
Michael Walker 92-91 —183
Clay Hill 94-89 —183
Vince Castille 90-96 —186
Ty Simon 97-91 —188
Curtis Cole 96-95 —191
Thomas Simon 93-99 —192
Dennis Verrette 91-102 —193
Ted Dupin 94-100 —194
Pat Verrette 99-95 —194
Chad Scott Smith 100-98 —198
Jarrod Durflinger 89-112 —201
SENIOR FLIGHT ONE
Mac Blanchard 78-70 —148
Bill Perkins 79-71 —150
Bryan Ballard 79-77 —156
Scott Lominac 81-76 —157
Randy Tadlock 79-79 —158
Jerry Bonvillian 82-80 —162
Charlie Buller 78-85 —163
Lindell Lambright 77-87 —164
Terrance Hoffpauir 81-83 —164
Val East 80-85 —165
Mike Colletta 81-84 —165
Mike Klumpp 84-83 —167
David Flanagan 82-86 —168
Jim Mooney 84-88 —172
Gray Little 88-84 —172
SENIOR FLIGHT TWO
Mike Cagle 75-76 —151
Wil Fruge 77-80 —157
Scott McManus 77-83 —160
Randell Williams 84-78 —162
Greg Michel 87-80 —167
Sam Morris 87-88 —175
Terry Mullis 85-91 —176
Marty Thompson 86-90 —176
Charles Tarbell 96-80 —176
David Herrick 90-88 —178
Mark Fontenot 91-89 —180
Marc Grenier 94-88 —182
Jeff Sewell 94-89 —183
Kurtis McGrath 90-97 —187
Samuel Baynes 91-99 —190
