Mid-Amateur Championship

August 8, 2004

Gray Plantation

Info
- Tournament Info
Results

Round 3 Recap

PRESS RELEASE
For Release: Upon Receipt Contact: Carr McCalla

BAKER?S JEFF CALLOWAY SHOOTS 67 ON SUNDAY TO WIN 2004 LOUISIANA GOLF ASSOCIATION MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Lake Charles, Louisiana August 8, 2004

Jeff Calloway of Baker fired a 5-under par 67 on Sunday to win the 2004 Louisiana Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship by two shots over Ben Hargis of Alexandria. The Championship appeared to be heading into a free-for-all as no fewer than 5 players jockeyed for the lead on the front nine.

Hargis, who had taken a one shot lead over New Iberia?s Kenley Jones into Sunday?s round, made triple bogey 7 on the par 4 4th hole to bring a whole group of players back into the fray. Calloway, playing in the next to last group, shot 2-under par 34 on the front, birdieing #1 and #5. Birdies on #10 and #12 gave him the lead for good as Hargis, Jones, and Rick Brinker of Bossier City stayed within striking distance. Another birdie on the short par 4 16th gave him some breathing room but Hargis chipped in for birdie on #17 to close the gap to one. When Calloway finished his round by making par on #18, Hargis was faced with making birdie there to tie. He hit his second shot into the front bunker and when he failed to hole his bunker shot Calloway had his first Mid-Amateur Championship after knocking on the door for the last couple of years.

Calloway finished at 9-under par 207, with Hargis alone in second at 7-under 209 after shooting 73 Sunday. Jones finished in third at 210 (73 on Sunday) with Brinker fourth at 211 after shooting a 3-under par 69 Sunday.

Rounding out the Top 10 were John Carr/Shreveport and Bill Land/Lafayette, tied for fifth at 212; Matt Nicholas of Westlake, seventh at 214; former champions Grady Brame/Hammond and Eddie Lyons/Shreveport, tied for eighth at 215; and Scott Freeland/Baton Rouge and Billy Gabbert/Sulphur, tied for tenth at 216.

The round of the day was turned in by Monroe?s Scotty Free, who despite a bogey on the par 5 7th hole, shot an 8-under par 64. He birdied 5 of his first 6 holes, then also made birdies on #9, #10, and #11 to get to 7 under through 11 holes. Another birdie on #15 and three closing pars gave him his 64. He finished at one over par 217. Other under par rounds on Sunday were shot by Calloway (67), Brinker (69), Nicholas (70), Land (71), Darrell Benoit/Belle Chasse (71), Lee Davis/Denham Springs (71), John Morrissey/Lake Charles (71), and Shane Thomas/Shreveport (71).

This year?s Championship was played at Gray Plantation in Lake Charles, a venue quickly becoming one of the LGA?s most popular sites. It has drawn wonderful reviews all week from this field of the best 25 and older players in Louisiana. Gray Plantation played to a par of 72 at 7,001 yards. The top 40 finishers and ties in this year?s event will be exempt into the 2005 LGA Mid-Amateur, scheduled to be held at Bayou DeSiard Country Club in Monroe. Gray Plantation will also host the 2005 LGA Senior 4-Ball Championship in early May.

Sunday?s conditions were again hot but with a cooling breeze and the players were again saved on Sunday from the stifling humidity of the typical Louisiana summer.

All Scores to follow:

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Louisiana Golf Association