ND's Fruge finishes 11th at La. Champions Invittional
MARKSVILLE – Nearly two inches of rain Monday evening threatened to cancel Tuesday’s Louisiana Champions Invitational at Tamahka Trails Golf Course on the grounds of the Paragon Casino Resort.
But after tournament officials gave the green light, Hahnville’s Collin Troxler and East Iberville’s Julia Johnson made it look easy while the rest of the field struggled with the wet conditions.
Troxler, the 2014 Louisiana Champions Invitational runnerup, fired a 4-under par 66 to win the 2015 boys’ title, while Johnson, playing in the tournament for the first time, shot an all-time tournament low score of 6-under 64 to run away with the girls’ crown.
Due to shorting the course due to the conditions, Johnson’ score was not recognized as a record.
“It was very much in doubt whether we would even get to play today,” said tournament director Don Husbands. “So we really couldn’t play them at the distance that we wanted to; and you had to play lift, clean and place. And you also couldn’t play the bunkers because they were full of water.
“But, regardless, to shoot that low of a score is remarkable.”
Aside from the two winners, the rest of the field found the playing conditions much more difficult than normal.
Notre Dame’s Tristian Fruge, the Division III state runnerup, was among that group. He finished the tournament in 11th place after shooting a 75.
“It was not the most ideal playing conditions out there today,” said Fruge. “The only good thing was that they took the bunkers out of play. I went in a couple of those and got relief from them; so it wasn’t that bad.”
Fruge’s problems began on the tee box where he hit just two fairways over the first 13 holes.
“I struggled with my driver today, more so on the back nine than the front because the front is more open. The back nine just killed me when I was hitting my driver bad. I probably should have left it (driver) in my bag, but I was kind of going for everything on this one.”
Fruge remained in contention on the front nine, however, making the turn at just one-over par.
It was the back nine that gave him the most trouble.
“I was just hitting the ball better on the front nine and they had it a lot closer on the front; so it was just little wedges into the greens and easy pars all day,” he said. “Then on the back, I hit a couple bad drives which made me hit some shots that were just kind of a waste of a stroke. And then I had to try and make a 12-footer for par instead of a two-putt.”
Fruge’s day could have been much worse if it hadn’t been for his mid-range game.
The Notre Dame graduate was able to minimize damage for the most part with a number of incredible third shots, most out of wooded areas, that enabled him to save par.
“I have a lot of practice from the woods, so to say,” said Fruge.
Overall, Fruge said playing in the invitational was a great experience.
“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “I wish I could have played a little bit better, but I can’t be too mad about it.”
Fruge will be attending LSU in the fall where he will major in mechanical engineering.
CHAMPIONS
For Troxler, being familiar with the course was a big plus in his title run. He finished one stroke behind C.E. Byrd’s Jeffrey Berry in 2014.
“It was a great learning experience last year and this year. I got to know the golf course a little bit better, so it was good to take advantage of.” said Troxler. “The course set up different last year. Because of the wetness (this year), they had to move the tees up. But the greens, overall, were better; they were a lot smother and faster this year.”
Troxler carded a 34 on the front nine despite a bogey on the opening hole. He then fired a 32 on the backside.
“It was just a great day today,” said Troxler, who will be playing collegiate golf in the fall at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. “My ball striking was there and my putting was on: I was like 13-for-14 inside six feet putting; so it was a good day on the greens.”
Johnson, the 3-time defending Division II State champion, wasn’t exactly comfortable entering the tournament.
Despite shooting a two-day total of 147 to win the state title a few weeks earlier, the sophomore felt her game wasn’t where it needed to be.
“I didn’t come into this tournament feeling really good about the way I was hitting the ball,” said Johnson. “My driver wasn’t as good as it could have been. But my putting was just out of this world. I don’t think I’ve every putted this well, so that definitely made up for a few parts of my game that weren’t really there today.”
Johnson’s biggest putt of the day was on the 18th and final hole, where she pitched up to about 12 feet and then drained the putt to set her all-time low round.
“I thought that putt was to shoot 65, not 64,” said Johnson, whose previous best round was a 66. “It was my putt to shoot my tournament low and I wanted to make it.
“A lot of the putts today, even if they were 30 footers, when I was over them, I just felt like I was going to make it. I felt it on that last putt and it felt pretty good to knock that one in.”
On the boys’ side, last year’s champion Jeffrey Berry, Benton’s Hayden White, and Catholic of Baton Rouge’s William Meyers each shot 70s to tie for second place while St. Thomas More’s Drew Gonzalez, Runnels’ Grant Welch and St. Louis Catholic’s Jacobo Santacoloma each shot 72 to tie for fifth place.
Brooke Tyree of Sulphur was the girls’ runnerup with a score of 70 while Mary Chauvin of Hammond was third (75).
Louisiana Champions Invitational
Boys Scores
PLAYER HIGH SCHOOL SCORE
1. Collin Troxler Hahnville 34-32 66
2. Jeffrey Berry, C.E. Byrd 36-34 70
2. Hayden White Benton 36-34 70
2. William Meyers Catholic-BR 36-34 70
5. Jacobo Santacoloma St. Louis 38-34 72
5. Grant Welch Runnels 35-37 72
5. Drew Gonzales St. Thomas More 36-36 72
8. Micah Goulas Catholic-NI 38-36 74
8. B.J. Rogillio Parkview Baptist 37-37 74
8. Jack Tolson Westminster 41-33 74
11. Tristan Fruge Notre Dame 37-38 75
12. David Cole Benton 38-39 77
13. Tucker Landry Ascension Catholic 40-40 80
14. Nathan Grossi Sam Houston 40-42 82
Girls Scores
PLAYER HIGH SCHOOL SCORE
1. Julia Johnson East Iberville 33-31 64
2. Brooke Tyree Sulphur 33-37 70
3. Mary Chauvin Hammond 37-38 75
4. Camille Simon Ben Franklin 39-39 78
5. Aoife O’Donovan Neville 40-39 79
6. Hailey Duzan Sulphur 44-39 83