If you drove past Babe Zaharias Golf Course Saturday, Sunday or Monday, there was a sight totally foreign to the first six weeks of 2018. The parking lot was full, the golf course was crowded and grass was actually growing.

Thanks in part to the President’s Day holiday on Monday, Zaharias saw its three most prolific days of the year in terms on rounds played. The numbers were 124 on Saturday, 131 on Sunday and 155 on Monday.

Tuesday saw plenty of play, too, but that was because The Babe was hosting a junior varsity tournament.

“It was a busy weekend and it was nice to see,” said George Brown, the CEO of course operator Aquila Golf. “I’ve been in the golf business for a long time and can’t ever remember a year when the conditions for golf have been so consistently bad.”

Zaharias head pro Mitch Duncan was elated not only at the numbers of golfers taking advantage of warmer, drier weather, but also of the fact his maintenance crew was finally able to get some fertilizer down.

“A year ago by mid February we had already fertilized three times, Duncan said. “It was sure nice to have a stretch of days where the temperatures were in the 70s and we weren’t having to deal with heavy rain.”

Alas, by the time you read this, the bottom may be falling out again.
Predictions for Wednesday were calling for two to four inches of rain across Southeast Texas. With the ground still saturated, it looks like those dreaded cart path only signs will be out again.

CHIP SHOTS

It was a banner showing for area players on the third leg of the Texas-Louisiana Junior Tour last Saturday at Henry Homberg Golf Course in Beaumont.

The Texas team, down 9-6 after the first two events were played in
Louisiana, swept all seven flights and lead 13-9 heading into the final tourney Saturday at Babe Zaharias.

Nederland’s Brendan Marley led the way by winning Boys 16-18 with a 77 that left him three shots clear of PNG’s Timothy Feemster. In Boys 14-15, Micah Depew of Beaumont shot 85 to edge Jared Pousson of Sulphur by one stroke.

Xander Parks of Orange also won by a single stroke in Boys 12-13. Parks carded a 84, with Landen East of Sulphur right behind at 85. In Girls 16-18, Elizabeth Townsend of Kountze was a nine-stroke winner over Mackenzie Sears of Silsbee with an 87.

Other flight winners included Montana DiLeo of Orange with a 97 in Girls 12-13, Lincoln Parks of Orange (39 in Co-Rec, 9 holes) and Erin Eaves of Beaumont (39 in Co-Rec, 6 holes) …

PNG ex Braden Bailey, riding a wave that had seen him climb to No. 5 in Golfweek’s college player ratings and thrust into the mix for a spot on the Palmer Cup Team and the Ben Hogan Player of the Year Award, had a rare down week in the University of Houston’s All-American Intercollegiate last weekend.

Bailey, who had finished top 10 in all six of Baylor’s fall and spring
tournaments, and was working on a string of 14 consecutive rounds of 72 or better, shot 73-75-72 at the Golf Club of Houston to finish tied for 51st at four-over 220. In the same tourney a year ago, he’d fired 72-66-71 for a 209 that was tied for second.

Normally a good putter, Bailey struggled with the flat stick and was able to roll in only three birdies over the final 36 holes. Inability to make putts, plus a triple bogey and a double bogey on the par-5, fourth hole, left Braden with Baylor’s fourth highest score. The Bears finished second at 26-under-par, 16 strokes behind Auburn.

Next tourney for Bailey and the Bears is the Querencia Cabo Collegiate
March 4-6 in Los Cabos …

Bailey wasn’t the only PNG ex to stuggle last week. Both Chris Stroud
(77-74) and Andrew Landry (77-72) missed the cut in the PGA Tour Genesis Championship at historic Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. The cut was an usually high two-over 144.

Stroud essentially missed the cut due to one nightmarish hole, making a 10 on the par 4, 12th. On Friday, Stroud made birdie 3 on the same hole. It was his third missed cut in six starts on the 2018 portion of the season. He dropped to 118th in Fed Ex points.

Landry, meanwhile, missed his third consecutive cut since losing in a sudden death playoff at the CareerBuilders Championship. Because of that one high finish, however, he’s still high on the FedEx list at No. 2 and has banked $1,090,606.

Both Stroud and Landry are playing in this week’s Honda Championship, as the tour moves to Florida . . .

Nederland ex Felicia Sauceda carded rounds of 75-78-74 for the Lamar Cardinal golf team in the Texas State Invitational at Plum Creek Country Club in Kyle. The 54-hole total of 227 left Sauceda tied for
27th and helped Lamar to a sixth place finish.

PNG’s Karlei Hemler, a freshman at McNeese State, shot rounds of 81-84-84 …

There was a three-way tie for first at minus-1 between teams captained by Cap Hollier, James Shipley and Craig Geoffry in the Monday Senior 50 Plus two-ball at Zaharias. On the back, the team of Earl Richard, Tony Trevino, Cole Lee and Gary Fontenot won with plus-2 …

The Monday Cooksey 2-ball at Zaharias saw the foursome of Lonnie Labove, David Girouard, Mark Eddingston and Billy Foret take the front in minus-2 and tie the back at minus-3. Also minus-3 on the back was the team of Joe Landry, Don Bryson, Jerry Boudreaux and Jason Landry …

In the Saturday Senior 2-ball at The Babe, the team of Bryan Grant, Thad Borne, Harrell Guidry and Jay Hampson won the front in minus-3. Minus-1 won the back for Shipley, Hollier, Ed Holley and Craig Castille …

The Friday Senior 2-ball at Zaharias saw a three-way tie on the front
between teams captained by Russ Gloede, Brad Royer and Benny Sharpe with minus-3. Gloede’s team posted a minus 5 to run away with the back …

Format for the Thursday Senior Game at The Babe was a 2-Ball, Three Man Select Drive. Tied at even on the front was the team of Doug LeBlanc, Noel and Dwayne Benoit and the threesome of Harry Green, Rick Pritchett and Larry Johnson. LeBlanc’s team won the back outright with even.

Closest to the pin winners were Sharpe (No. 2) and Noel (No. 12) …

The Wednesday Babe Zaharias DogFight was won with 13 points by the team of Hollier, Don MacNeil, Mike Rodgers and Dan Flood. Second with 11 points was the team of Bim Morrow, Noel and Bryce Gregg.

Closest to the pin winners was Charles Leard (No. 2, No. 12) …

Team openings are still available for the seventh annual Port Neches-Groves Three-Person Scramble set for Saturday, March 3 at Babe Zaharias. Entry fee is $75 per player or $225 per team.

Anyone interested in participating should call PNG golf coach Ricky Keyes at 466-1263 or the Zaharias golf shop at 722-8286.
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Golf news should be emailed to rdwest@usa.net.