JOURNAL SPORTS
LAFAYETTE – The defending state champion Byrd boys and Benton girls golf teams got the starts they wanted Monday at the LHSAA Golf Championships, contested at four courses in the Lafayette area.
Three teams are within one stroke of the top spot after Monday’s first round of Division I boys competition in Lafayette.
Byrd, winners of seven of the last nine boys Division I titles, and Catholic High of Baton Rouge each carded three-under 285 scores in Monday’s first round over The Wetlands (6,348 yards, par 72) course. Jesuit of New Orleans, paced by an eight-under 64 from Duke Nitcher, is only one shot back at two-under 286.
Nitcher birdied six of the final eight holes on the back nine in a bogey-free 34-30—64 round, the lowest round of the day in all six divisions, boys and girls, of the tournament.
Byrd had three sub-par scores on the way to sharing the team lead, with Shepherd Smith and Slayton Guidry both posting two-under 70 rounds. Teammate James Holtsclaw was one shot back at 71. The Yellow Jackets got a 74 from Brooks Reid while Charles Smith carded a 77
Kade Bryant, two days removed from helping Benton’s baseball team advance to the state quarterfinals, shot an even-par 72 to tie for 14th individually.
Benton grabbed two of the top three individual slots and used that to take a solid first-day lead in Division I girls’ competition in Youngsville.
Sophomore Grace Goodwin of Benton had a five-under 69 over the 5,679-yard par-74 Les Vieux Chenes Golf Club course and leads the individual chase by one shot. Teammate Abigail McWilliams, a senior, is in third place – the same position she finished individually last year – at one-under 73, giving Benton a 142 team total. McWilliams won a playoff that gave the Lady Tigers the state title in 2024.
Last year’s runner-up Barbe stands second, 12 shots behind Benton at 154.
In Division III boys competition in Lafayette at The Wetlands, Loyola’s pair of Jack Lauve (36-35) and Jack Gilmer (36-35) were among four players tied for second at one-under 71. Only five golfers broke par in Monday’s opening round.
The Flyers stand in third place in the team competition at 303, 11 shots behind six-time defending state champion Ascension Episcopal. Calvary is eighth in the team standings at 360.
Loyola’s other players were Jake Morris (83), Ben Bretz (84) and Nicholas Avalone (90). Trip Jones (88) and Ezra Smith (89) were low men for Calvary.
In girls team standings, Loyola is seventh with Kathryn Jackson (97), Charlotte Campbell (100) and Julia Braud (112) posting scores for the Lady Flyers.
Because of anticipated inclement weather, today’s final round will be played in a shotgun format with all players starting at 8 a.m.