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PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Carr McCalla
Louisiana Golf Association
(www.lgagolf.org)
For Release: Upon Receipt
KEN LOOPER LEADS BY FIVE AFTER TWO ROUNDS IN 2009 LOUISIANA GOLF ASSOCIATION AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
June 5, 2009 – Ken Looper of Mandeville fired a six-under par 66 on Friday to take a five-shot lead into third round play in the 90th edition of the Louisiana Golf Association Amateur Championship, conducted this year at English Turn Golf & Country Club in New Orleans.
Looper’s two-round total of 10-under par 134 is the lowest 36 hole score in this Championship since Lake Charles’ Alan Morgan shot 21-under par over 72 holes at Bayou DeSiard CC in Monroe to capture this title in 2001. First-round co-leader Andrew Loupe of Baton Rouge shot 71 on Friday to finish the day alone in second place at five-under par 139 (68-71). Louisiana Tech golfer Matthew Harvey also fired his second straight sub-par round, backing up Thursday’s 69 with a one-under par 71 on Friday to finish 36 holes in third place at four-under 140. Looper, Loupe, and Harvey will make up the final pairing in Saturday’s third round.
Robert Derek Plucienski of Slidell and Marc Noel of Abbeville round out the top five, both finishing two rounds at two-under par 142, Plucienski with rounds of 72-70, and Noel firing his 142 with rounds of 70-72.
Looper, who will be a junior at the University of New Orleans next year, is coming off a strong collegiate season, having won a number of collegiate events in the spring representing the Privateers. With nary a five on his card Friday, he started his round on the backside at English Turn with birdies on both par fives (#11 & #15) and seven pars to turn in 34. After the turn he birdied the par five 2nd and the par five 6th holes, finishing his round off with birdies on the difficult 446 yard par four 7th, as well as his final hole of the day, the par four, 371 yard 9th, to finish with his 34-32/66.
Other under par scores on Friday were posted by Eddie Brescher of Ponchatoula (67, including a six-under 30 on the front), Jeff Calloway of Baton Rouge (70), Robby Going of Lake Charles (71), Ethan Savoy of Broussard (71), Chuck Keigley of Baton Rouge (71), Chuck Daniel of Covington (71), Cory Vincent of Sulphur (71), Andy Bower of Gretna (71), and Matthew Carvell on Hammond (71).
The Jack Nicklaus designed English Turn course played to a par of 72 at just over 7,050 yards on Friday. The course received another half inch of rain Thursday night with Friday’s play conducted under unseasonably cool conditions with a slight breeze. Forecast for the remainder of the week is for sunny skies with temperatures continuing to run a bit below normal.
The field was cut after Friday’s play to the low 60 and ties with 64 players surviving the cut at nine-over par 153. Third round play will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday off #1 tee with the leaders going off at 10:39 AM.
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