Louis Bonnette

Area golf courses are back up and going in spite of grounds that are still a little soggy.

Frasch Park in Sulphur was the lone area course open last Monday when the flood came.

Club pro George McInnis said, “We never closed, but we didn’t have much play (early in the week). We missed the bulk of the rain over here and we were open until late mid-morning on Monday. We even mowed the greens Tuesday morning.”

All other area courses were closed on Monday, which is a weekly closure for the Lake Charles Country Club and Gray Plantation. The Country Club had no play on Tuesday but it picked up on Wednesday. Same for Gray while The National in Westlake returned to play on Tuesday.

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Country Club assistant pro Greg Sonnier said he will attempt to win his fourth consecutive Louisiana PGA title Monday and Tuesday in the Gulf States PGA-sponsored tournament at Tamahka Trails in Marksville.

The central part of the state didn’t get the rain that we did so that course is expected to be ready for the club pros.

The reigning GSPGA Player of the Year, Sonnier said he’s been hitting the ball well but needs to get his “scoring to come together.”

A year ago he won the title by four shots. Sonnier also took the top spot in the battle for the Mississippi PGA pro bout but wasn’t allowed the title because he does not reside in that state. He did win top money, though.

Again, this year both tournaments will go on at the same time and the local pro is entered in both.

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Another note about a member of the Country Club, Logan Moore was named the associate of the month by the Gulf States PGA.

A native of Sulphur, Moore has been a member of the staff since last March. He played three years of golf at Sulphur High, helping the Tors to the state competition each year.

Moore’s recognition was recently written up by the Gulf States PGA on its website. The 20-year-old is working on his PGA membership.

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Scheduled to tee off on Friday is the Country Club’s annual member-guest tournament. Back to defend their title is the team of Rick Speights and Jim Courville.

Also going on Friday is the Sulphur Golden Tor scramble at Frasch Park.

The state high school association recently concluded its season and now area junior players will begin competing in various tournaments throughout state.

The Louisiana Golf Association is handling the events that will run until October. Winding up today at the Oak Wing in Alexandria are tournaments for both boys and girls.

Area entries are Collin Jones, Sam Broussard, Dylan Duran, George Trappey, Landen East, Jace Lejeune, Cameron Langley, Zach Robertson, Jonathan Perry and Hayden Boyette in the boys division, and Isabelle Bradley and Emmi Marceau in the girls.

Among the other tournaments scheduled are the state junior amateurs that will be played July 7-9 at the Ellendale Country Club and the tour championship, which will be played Oct. 2-3 at the Lake Charles Country Club.

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If you’ve been keeping up with the PGA Tour, you noted that two players identified with McNeese State — Robert Mac-Intyre and Carlos Ortiz — are playing today in the final round of the PGA Championship. Both made the cut, Ortiz at 3-over par and MacIntyre at 4 over.

A native of Scotland, Mac-Intyre played two years for the Cowboys while Ortiz has Mc-Neese graduate Justin Poynter as his swing coach.

MacIntyre is a member of the European PGA Tour but has been playing in the USA more than over there this year.

Upcoming

June 5 -6 — Plantation Four Ball, Gray Plantation.

June12-13 — The National men’s golf association member-pal.

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Louis Bonnette has written about local golf for the American Press since 1971. His column appears each Sunday. Contact him at 274-5689 or lbonnette@mcneese.eduLouis Bonnette, golfAmerican Press