JOURNAL SPORTS
Recently graduated Benton golfer Abigail McWilliams picked up one final honor Monday to cap her long list of credentials before she heads off to college, and it will come in handy right away.
The Louisiana Golf Association announced Monday that McWilliams, 17, is the 2025 recipient of the Dick & Linda Batti Scholarship.
A two-time LHSAA state champion at Benton, McWilliams won the 2024 Louisiana Women’s Amateur. The LGA had earlier named her as its current Louisiana Women’s Player of the Year.
She was fourth in the LGA’s Junior Girls Amateur held last week at Southern Trace Country Club.
The LGA announcement said her “impressive accomplishments and strong character make her an outstanding selection for this year’s award.”
The Batti Scholarship was created to support young female golfers in Louisiana with their higher education. Each year, one recipient is awarded a one-time $1,500 grant to assist with college expenses. The scholarship recognizes a young woman who has demonstrated dedication to golf, excellence in academics, and leadership both on and off the course.
McWilliams began playing golf at the age of seven and quickly found success, winning her first tournament at a middle school championship. She started competing on the Louisiana Junior Golf Tour at age 12, becoming the first player under the minimum age requirement to join the tour. Her father reached out to the LGA’s executive director at the time and asked if she could compete since her brother, Noah, was already playing. He promised, “She won’t slow anyone down.”
Since then, she has built a standout junior golf career. She currently holds a +0.4 handicap index. McWilliams has represented Louisiana in both the Junior River Cup and the Junior Cup for the past three years. On the LJGT, she has earned five top-three finishes, including two wins.4
In her scholarship application, McWilliams described how much the game of golf has shaped her.
“Golf is more than just a sport to me — it’s something that has taught me discipline, patience, and how to stay focused under pressure,” she wrote. “Being involved with the Louisiana Golf Association has helped me grow not only as a player but as a person.”