Troxler, Johnson win at the Louisiana’s Champions Invitational

Nearly two inches of rain Monday evening, May 25, threatened to cancel Tuesday’s, May 26, Louisiana’s 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.”

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.

“The front nine was a bit of a struggle because I three-putted the first hole to make bogey. But after that, it was smooth sailing. After I birdied No. 10, I just felt confident and wanted to get lower and lower.”

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 c        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