Landon Lyons Boys Overall Champion Baton Rouge		Perry Katherine Furr Girls Overall Champion Wesson, Mississippi

Lyons and Furr Claim Crowns
at Spedmill Sherwood Shootout

Not since the “Miracle at Oak Harbor” in 2004 has the Arrowhead Tour been more fortunate to play 36 tournament holes in a weekend: the Spedmill Sherwood Shootout was conducted in one of the rainiest stretches of late summer in south Louisiana in recent memory. Still the tour’s 36-hole tournament prevailed.

Baton Rouge native Landon Lyons was nonplussed by the threatening weather.  Lyons played superbly, shooting 73-72-145 and finishing one over par to take home the Boys Overall Title.  Perry Katherine Furr of Wesson, Mississippi enjoyed an awesome Arrowhead Tour debut, capturing the Girls Overall Title and playing very solidly all weekend. 

Clay Shovan of Quitman, Louisiana and Jacob Ross of Brookhaven, MS both won their first Age Division Titles.  And Elise Bradley of Mandeville, LA also won her Age Division Championship to round out the winners.event.

Lyons is Hard To Catch

Landon Lyons is a closer and hard to catch when he’s got the lead. For a while on Saturday, though, it appeared as if Lyons and the entire field might have to forego Saturday’s round.  The venerable tract at Sherwood Forest Country Club received almost five inches of rain two days before Saturday’s first round, then was hit by more rain on Friday afternoon.  Threatening, dark, scud-like skies loomed over the first tee on Saturday.  And it did rain steadily beginning about twenty minutes into the first round.  But very lightly.  And with no lightning or dangerous conditions present, play continued.  Prevailing winds somehow moved the dangerous system away from and around the course.  Sunday’s skies were blue and clear and conditions were dry and the entire field played every hole of the 36-hole event.

Lyons played equally well in rain and sunshine in copping the Boys Overall Title.  On Sunday he birdied 10 & 15, then finished
his round with an eagle on the par five 18th finishing hole.   Lyons finished three shots ahead of Clay Shovan (77-71-148) of Quitman, LA, who captured the Boys 16-18 Year-Old Age Division Crown.

Shovan Shows The Way

Clay Shovan made the trek to Sherwood from the small north Louisiana town of Quitman and following his final round, one under par 71 on Sunday was glad that he made the trip.  Shovan’s Sunday 71 was the only round in red numbers from the blue tees on the weekend.  Shovan birdied 1 & 14 on Sunday, then eagled 17 & 18 in succession.  Shovan holed out from the fairway on the par four 17th and rolled in a 12-footer on the par 5 18th for eagle there.  It was Shovan’s first AJGT Age Division Title. 

Craig Chandler (76-75-151) of Baton Rouge returned to the AJGT with a splash, playing excellent golf and taking home second in the Boys 16-18’s. Chandler carded birdies on 11 & 18 on Sunday while posting a final round 75.  Jerry Johnston, also down from Shovan’s neck of the piney woods, carded birdies on no. 10 & 18 to post bookend 76’s and take third place in the Boys 16-18’s.  Michael Wilkinson of Gulfport, MS shot a first round 76 to finish fourth, while AJGT newcomer Stuart Bonaventure of nearby Sunshine carded a final round 75 enroute to 5th place.  Ryan Sparks, Garrett Westbrook, David Mata, Trevor Dauphinet and Alex Galliano rounded out the Top Ten in the Boys 16-18’s.s 14-15’s.

Lyons Emerges from Boys 14-15’s for Title

Lyons won his Boys Overall Championship while playing out of the Boys 14-15 Year-Old Age Division.  Trey Neck of Baton Rouge fired a final round 76 to cop second place.  Neck was even through 14 holes on Sunday and carded birdies on 7, 14 & 18.  Evans Haile of Mandeville, LA posted a final round 78 and made birdie on the second hole enroute to third place.  Charles Valluzzo of Baton Rouge was fourth, while Eustis Corrigan III of Lafayette, LA took home 5th. Town Ortego, Matt McCain, Kyle Curtis, Krittin Noibanchong and Bo Boudreaux rounded out the Top Ten in the Boys 14-15’s.

Ross Is Excellent in Age Division Win

Furr Enjoys Impressive AJGT Debut

Call her P. K. Furr. Or call her Perry Katherine Furr.  But remember to call her the Girls Overall Champion of the Spedmill Sherwood Shootout.

Furr shot 79-77-156 for the victory in her first Arrowhead event. On Sunday, Furr birdied no. 12, but mostly she simply played exceptionally steady golf.  She was 2 over par for the last 15 holes of the tournament. With Division One Coach James Schilling of Nicholls State following her pairing, Furr calmly handled course and weather conditions with equal aplomb enroute to the victory. 

Fellow Mississipian Meagan Roberts, a rising star on the AJGT and the 2005-’06 AJGT Spirit of Golf Award Winner, also shot 77 in the Sunday sunshine, giving her second place for the tournament.  Roberts birdied no. 14 on Sunday.  Pair Noibanchong shot 78 on Sunday and moved into third place.  Pair birdied 7 on Saturday and 14 on Sunday and displayed a very impressive swing in her AJGT debut. Perennial challenger Kirby Baker (83-83-166) of Baton Rouge was fourth,  while Morgan Robin of Prairieville, LA carded a final round 79 enroute to 5th place. Brooke Braun of Metairie, LA also shot a final round 79 and took 6th.  Michelle Morris of Baton Rouge claimed 7th. 

Worth noting is the health of AJGT veteran Heather Lott of Baton Rouge, one of the tour’s most talented players.  Lott was forced to withdraw right before Sunday’s round due to sudden illness, but is feeling much better and will soon be ready to return to action, which is good news for all concerned.

 Bradley Goes for the Gold