PRESS RELEASE
LAFAYETTE – Jeffrey Berry of Keithville fired a five-under par 67 on Thursday at Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette, and he leads the 99th LGA Amateur Championship by three shots heading into Friday’s second round. Berry will have to stave off an extremely talented field of former LGA Champions in order to maintain his lead. Currently tied for second at two-under par 70 are 2011 LGA Amateur Champion Greg Berthelot of Baton Rouge, 2015 LGA Mid-Amateur Champion Brandon Aydlett of Metairie, and 2016 LGA Junior Amateur Champion Nick Daniel of Covington. Berthelot won his Amateur title at Oakbourne Country Club and finished with a 72-hole total of 12-under par, so he is comfortable making a charge under pressure on this course. Berry, a rising senior at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, is looking to set the tone for a stellar summer and senior year by capturing the most prestigious Amateur Championship in the state of Louisiana. With 16 players at even par or better through 18 holes, it is anyone’s Championship to win at this point.
Berry started his round at 9:00 AM on hole #10. He had a roller coaster start, making bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie on his first four holes. He finished his first nine holes with five straight pars, making the turn at even par for the round. Berry made par at the par 4 1st hole and then strung together three consecutive birdies. He made a par at the par 4 5th hole (459 yards), and then he carded three consecutive birdies on holes 6, 7, and 8. He made a bogey at the par 3 9th hole which was playing 175 yards on Thursday. His final nine holes showcased the incredible ball striking and putting ability that Berry possess. Oakbourne is a tree lined shot makers course, and Berry was able to hit the ball exactly where he wanted to on Thursday. Berry’s eight total birdies in the second round were two more than the next highest total.
There is currently an eight-way tie for fifth place at one-under par 71 between: Ryan Alford of Shreveport, Dante Caldera of Greenwell Springs, Micah Goulas of New Iberia, Ken Buchan of Monroe, Matt Weber of Scott, 1972 LGA Amateur Champion Robert Shelton of Lafayette, Hank Shaheen of Dequincy, and Reid Giardina of Lake Charles.
The Oakbourne Country Club course played to a par 72 at approximately 6,890 yards on Thursday. The challenging layout and course set-up provided a stern but fair test. The golf course is in excellent condition and boasts some of the best putting surfaces in the state. Superintendent Jason Barras and his crew have worked tirelessly all week to get the course ready and in Championship condition. With a promising forecast in store for the next few days, the golf course will be immaculate and competitors are in for a treat. Oakbourne is hosting the LGA Amateur Championship for the seventh time in its history, which is second most all time (also in 1959 and 1981, 1989, 1998, 2004, and 2011).
Starting Times will begin again at 7:30 a.m., off both #1 and #10 tees on Friday.
Click here for complete First Round Results.
Click here to view Second Round Pairings.