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PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Carr McCalla
Louisiana Golf Association
(www.lgagolf.org)
For Release: Upon Receipt
LOOPER CLINGS TO LEAD ENTERING FINAL ROUND OF LOUISIANA GOLF ASSOCIATION AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
June 6, 2009 – While the lead never changed hands, it still must have felt like musical chairs for the final group in Saturday’s third round of the LGA Amateur Championship at English Turn Golf & Country Club.
Second round leader Ken Looper of Mandeville shot 73 on Saturday, with Ruston’s Matthew Harvey firing a three-under par 69, and Andrew Loupe of Baton Rouge finishing with a two-under par round of 70; Looper still leading after 54 holes at nine-under par 207, with Harvey and Loupe two shots back at seven-under 209.
Looper started the day five shots ahead of Loupe and six shots up on Harvey. Harvey birdied the first two holes before bogeying the third, while both Looper and Loupe also played the first three holes in one-under. Loupe finished the front with additional birdies on the par five 6th and the par three 8th to shoot 33, while Harvey birdied the difficult par four 7th to shoot 34. Looper, who played the front in even par 36, saw his lead shrink to two shots over Loupe and four over Harvey.
Loupe had a roller-coaster back side, starting off with bogeys on #10 and #11, having to take an unplayable lie on #11 after hitting his drive into pampas grass. Hitting his drive on the short par four 13th hole high, he made birdie there but followed that up with double-bogey on the island green 15th. Birdies on #16 and the 471 yard par four 18th brought him in at 37 and two-under par 70. Harvey’s back nine was a bit more consistent, with birdies on #12 and #15, and a lone bogey on the short 13th, shooting 34-35/69. Looper birdied #11, but then hit his tee shot in the water on the short par three 12th and made double bogey. Hitting his second shot to eight feet on the par five 15th, he lipped out his eagle putt there and made birdie, then finished with pars on #16 and #18, and a bogey on the 17th, to play his back in 37 for a one-over par 73 on the day.
Rounding out the top five heading into Sunday’s final round are: Patrick Christovich of New Orleans (70/214), alone in fourth; with Matthew Carvell of Hammond (71/215) and Marc Noel of Abbeville (73/215) tied for fifth.
Defending Champion Jarrod Barsamian of Baton Rouge fired a 73 on Saturday to stand at four-over par 220.
Other under par rounds on Saturday were turned in by Matt Hungerman of Mandeville (67), Michael Birtel of New Orleans (68), Austin Gutgsell of Mandeville (68), Cody Santone of Haughton (71), Andrew Noto of Luling (71), and Matt Nicholas of Lake Charles (71) .
English Turn G & CC, the Jack Nicklaus design on New Orleans’ West Bank that hosted the New Orleans PGA Tour event for many years, played to a par of 72 at just over 7,050 yards on Saturday. The course continues to draw positive reviews from this field of the top amateur players in Louisiana. The weather on Saturday provided sunny skies with just a touch of a breeze with more of the same predicted for tomorrow’s final round.
Sunday’s play will begin at 7:30 AM off #1 tee with the leaders scheduled to go off at 10:30 AM.
Sunday’s pairings and starting times to follow.
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