Senior Amateur Championship

PRESS RELEASE

For Release:     Upon Receipt                                                                      Contact: Michael Walder

 

 JIM ADAMS SHOOTS A THREE-UNDER PAR 69 TO TAKE THE LEAD GOING INTO THE FINAL ROUND OF THE 2005 LGA SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

 

The Bluffs, Louisiana                 August 5, 2005

 

Jim Adams of Baton Rouge took command of the 16^th annual Louisiana Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship by posting a second round score of three-under par (69) on Friday which puts him at one-under par 143 for the championship.  Following closely behind Adams are first round co-leaders Darell Benoit of Belle Chasse and defending champion Frank Brame of Alexandria.  They stand at even-par 144 after each carding a 73 in Round 2. 

 

Adams kick-started his round early by making birdies on his first three holes of the day (Nos. 1, 2, and 3).  After ten consecutive pars from No. 4-13, he added another birdie at No. 14 before dropping a shot at the difficult par-3 seventeenth.  Benoit and Brame each carded five birdies on the day, however, both had their share of bogeys to keep them from posting sub-par rounds.  Benoit made four birdies (Nos. 3, 4, 6, and 8) against one bogey on the outward nine to shoot a three-under par 33.  Two double bogeys (No. 14, 16) and a bogey at No. 17 took him to two-over par for the day, however, he was able to get one shot back on the par-5 eighteenth after making a birdie.  Like Adams, Brame got off to a fast start by birdieing his first two holes of the day (No. 1, 2). However, Brame went on to bogey five out of his next nine holes to drop him back to two-over par for the championship.  After a birdie at No. 12 and another bogey at No. 13, Brame, who also won this championship in 2002, closed with two birdies at No. 16 and No. 18 to bring him within one stroke of the lead going into Saturday’s final round.

 

Rounding out the top ten are: Dennis Hurley of Marrero (145), Jay Pierson of Shreveport (145), Jimmy Thomas of Lafayette (147), Scott Haynie of Brusly (147), John Davis of Lafayette (147), Gayle Sanchez of Baton Rouge (148), Brad Mosing of Lafayette (148), and Mark Tolson Lafayette (148).

 

The highlight of the day came on the par-3 fourth hole as Jimmy Thomas of Lafayette recorded a hole-in-one with a six-iron from 167 yards.  Thomas went on to shoot a one-under par 71 for the day and stands at 147 for the championship.

 

The Bluffs on Thompson Creek, an Arnold Palmer design located just east of St. Francisville, is hosting this year’s event.  The Bluffs, which is always rated as one of the best layouts in the state, has gotten wonderful reviews from this field of the best Senior players in Louisiana as many have indicated it is in the best condition in which they have seen the course.  The course played to a par of 72 on Thursday at approximately 6,600 yards.

 

The field was cut to the low 60 and ties after Friday’s play.  The cut fell at 164 with 60 players returning to play on Saturday.  Saturday’s play will begin at 7:30 a.m. with the leaders scheduled to go off at 10:21 a.m.

 

Age Group Championships completed play on Friday after 36 holes. Monroe Mitchell of Monroe won the 70 & Over Age Group, again shooting his age en route to posting a 73-69/142.  The 65-69 Age Group was won by Corky Yates of Pineville with a score of 73-78/151, and the 60-64 Age Group, which was decided by a three way playoff, was captured by Baton Rouge’s Todd Lusk.  Lusk, along with Van Stewart of Shreveport and Russ Gaudin of St. Francisville, all shot 36 hole scores of 5-over par 149.  Lusk bested Stewart and Gaudin, winning the second playoff hole with a par. 

 

Results of the Age Group Championships are as follows:

                       

 

 

 

All Scores and Saturday’s pairings to follow:

 

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