Two more guys with golfing roots deep in Southeast Texas are making their 2016 professional golf debut this week. Their focus will be zeroed in on following the route PN-G’s Andrew Landry and Lamar’s Dawie van der Walt took to the PGA Tour.
West Orange-Stark ex Michael Arnaud and former Kelly star Anthony Broussard are full-fledged members of the ultra competitive Web.com Tour and tee it up in that circuit’s season-opening event Thursday in Panama City, Panama. Next week they move on to Bogota, Colombia.
As we learned last year from following Landry and Van der Walt, part of making it on the Web.com Tour is handling a demanding schedule beyond United States borders. There are also early-season tourneys in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Cartagena, Colombia and Guanajuato, Mexico.
Playing in foreign countries can be stressful, dangerous and financially challenging for golfers still trying to get established. But it can also be rewarding, as was the case for Landry.
The former University of Arkansas No. 1 player pretty much assured himself of finishing in the top 25 on the money list by winning in Cartegena and pocketing $126,000. He wound up No. 21, after winning only $45,782 in 20 more events.
A top 25 in season-ending money or placing in the top 25 in the Web.com Tour’s season ending tournament will be the goal for both Arnaud and Broussard. The reward for either accomplishment is a PGA Tour card. Van der Walt got his card by finishing No. 2 on the money list, fueled by two tournament victories.
Arnaud at 34 and Broussard, 30, are pretty much senior citizens on a tour loaded with long-hitting young talent. Both, however, have established themselves as players with plenty of game.
Broussard’s major accomplishment to date is winning the 2014 Texas State Open over what was a very strong field. Arnaud, who doesn’t have the college golfing background 99.9 percent of pros do, won $69,302 on the Web.com last year, despite not having full status. He managed two top 10s.

CHIP SHOTS
It was not a particularly rewarding experience for the area’s four PGA Tour players last week. Shawn Stefani and Landry missed the 9-under-par cut in the Career Builder Challenge, while Van der Walt and Chris Stroud finished near the bottom of those who did make it.
Van der Walt earned $12,934 on a tied-for-56th finish with 10-under 278. Stroud shot 279, which was T62 and worth $12,354. Landry, Stefani and Van der Walt are all playing this week at Torrey Pines in San Diego, with Stroud taking the week off. …
The good news for Stroud, with former Lamar golf coach Brian White on his bag, was that he matched the low round of the tournament on the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West with a sizzling seven-under-par 65 in round two. It could have been even lower, but an errant tee shot on the 16th hole found the water and cost him a double bogey.
At the midway point of the tourney he was T25. Over the weekend, however, Chris once again struggled with his putter and slid down the leaderboard. …
Landry, who missed a fourth consecutive cut despite rounds of 70-69, nearly made news with an albatross. His second shot on the 562-yard, No. 8 stopped 12 inches from the cup. …
Though Baylor doesn’t resume its schedule until Feb. 8-9 in San Antonio, PN-G ex Braden Bailey made news.
Bailey recorded his second career ace by sinking a pitching wedge on the 131-yard, 16th hole at Ridgewood Country Club in Waco. …
Mark Gonzales of Beaumont is on a bit of a roll when it comes to aces. He’s had two in a 37-day span, both at Idylwild Golf Club. Gonzales followed up his Dec. 11 hole-in-one on No. 6 at Idylwild with a 5-iron that found the cup on the 180-yard, 14th.
The shot was witnessed by Brad Williams. Sounds like Gonzales needs to stock up on lottery tickets. …
The Senior 50 Plus game at Babe Zaharias was played in a best two-ball format, with the team of Larry Thompson, Bob Byerly, Mike Norris and Chris Perez winning the front in minus-4. On the back, the foursome of Bobby Kimball, Tony Trevino, Ron Mistrot and Butch Cross finished first with minus-4. …
With winds gusting above 25 mph, the Thursday Senior Game at The Babe was played in a best three ball format. The team of Bob Moore, Tom LeTourneau, Paul Duplantis and Bob West scored a sweep, winning the front in plus-6 and the back in plus-8. West won closest to the pin on No. 2 and No. 12. …
The team of Cap Hollier, Robert Bonin, Jim Cooper and Paul Bourgeois rolled up 20 points to win the Babe Zaharias DogFight. Second with 18 points was the foursome of Gene Hardy, Dillard Darbonne, Duplantis and Dwain Morrison. Closest to the pin winners were A. Davis (No. 2), Don Duplan (No. 7, No. 12) and Bob Byerly (No. 15).
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