Rabbit and Warhurst Capture
AJGT Championship

Deloach and Beebe Take Age Division Titles

Josh Rabbit of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Mobile’s Kristin Warhurst captured the respective Boys and Girls Overall Championships at the 7th Annual AJGT Coca Cola Stroke Play Championship at Beaver Creek Golf Club in Zachary, Louisiana. Daniel Deloach of Boyce, LA and Caroline Beebe of Spanish Fort, AL won Age Division Titles at the three-day, 54-hole tournament. Rabbit’s victory came on the second hole of a sudden death playoff with Brandt Garon of Baton Rouge, LA.

Daniel Deloach of Boyce, LA Boys 12-14 Champion AJGT Stroke Play Championship

Caroline Beebe Girls 12-14 Champion AJGT Stroke Play Championship

The tournament was marked by remarkably good weather and a newer, more challenging layout at Beaver Creek, which played at 6866 yards from the AJGT blue tees and 5850 yards from the AJGT white tees. The Boys 12-14’s played the AJGT gold tees at 6523 yards. Host PGA Pro Haze Brignac, the staff at Beaver Creek and the BREC Golf Program combined to provide an atmosphere of hospitality and welcome to all AJGT competitors and families.

Decell and Baker Honored as
AJGT Players of the Year

Matt Decell and Kirby Baker, both of Baton Rouge, were honored as the AJGT Players of the Year. Decell and Baker garnered multiple Overall Tournament Championships during the 2007-’08 AJGT year, and also finished in first place in the the 15-19 Points Races.

Werlien Prosperie III

Mitchell Bergeron

Brooke Braun

Pair Noibanchong

Decell edged Werlien Prosperie III of Houma, LA and Mitchell Bergeron of Houma, LA in the Boys Points Race, while Baker’s 22,700 points was 300 points better than the total of Brooke Braun of Metairie, LA. Mandeville’s Pair Noibanchong was third in the Girls 15-19 Points Race.

Jordan Karam

Chuck Spears

Anthony Lacombe

Keegan Mills

Jordan Karam of Lake Charles, LA was honored with the Boys 12-14 Points Cup at the Annual AJGT Awards Banquet on Saturday evening. Chuck Spears of Pineville, LA and Anthony Lacombe of Baton Rouge took home second and third place crystal Points Cups.

Mandeville’s Elise Bradley brought home the Girls 12-14 Points Cup with a second place finish in the Championship. Bradley finished 700 points in front of Jennifer Nguyen of Slidell, LA. Tournament Age Division Winner Caroline Beebe was third in the Girls 12-14 Points Race, 700 points behind Nguyen.

Sean Brown of Houma and Kirby Baker were named the 2008 Kelly Love Sportsmanship Scholarship Winners. The AJGT Spirit of Golf Award was presented to Keegan Mills and Robyn Daniel, both of Baton Rouge, and named permanently in Mills’ honor. Will Dearmon of Winnfield, LA and Jennifer Nguyen were named as Most Improved. Scott Backstrom of Erath, LA led a group of five seniors (Backstrom, Baker, Braun, Dillon Mathies and Sean Brown, who participated in Senior Speeches at the Awards Banquet. Nineteen seniors were present for the Senior Ceremony and the presentation of the Annual AJGT embroidered Senior Blankets.

Rabbit’s Victory Highlights
Storied AJGT Career

Rabbit & Garon Finish 3 Under for Event

Josh Rabbit, who will play at Birmingham Southern next year, planted an emphatic exclamation point on an illustrious AJGT career with his come-from-behind victory in the Championship. Rabbit and Garon both shot 71-74-68-213 and finished 3 under par for the tournament. The pair played the par three 8th and the par four ninth as sudden death playoff holes. Rabbit’s two-putt for par on the ninth sealed the victory.

Rabbit rolled in a 12-footer for birdie on the par three 15th to draw within two strokes as the tournament reached its denounement. It was the key shot in his comeback. Rabbit birdied 2, 4, 6, 13 & 15 on Sunday, while Garon nailed six birdies on Sunday, including five on the front nine. Garon shot 5 under par 31 on Sunday’s front. Rabbit shot 3 under 33 on the front and 1 under 35 on the tougher back nine to force the playoff.

Dillon Mathies of Baton Rouge and Greg Maher of Carencro, LA tied for third at 3 over 219. Mathies shot 74-72-73 and Maher shot 73-74-72. Chris Conroy of Baton Rouge was 5th at 220. Lafayette’s Corey Halsell and Hunter Smith of Baton Rouge shot 223 and tied for 6th. Travis Franks of Lake Charles finished at 226 and held 8th place. Matt Decell and Trevor Dauphinet closed at 227 and tied for 9th.

Luke David of Cutoff, LA and Mandeville’s Jordan Cardwell tied for 11th at 228. Kelsey Angelle of Arnaudville, LA, Lafayette’s Jacob Broussard and Houma’s Werlien Prosperie III finished tied for 13th at 229. Ashton Abel of Patterson, LA, Winnfield’s Will Dearmon, Leesville’s James Anderson III, Mitchell Bergeron of Houma, Dustin Bertrand of Abbeville, LA and Taylor Dodge of Baton Rouge rounded out the Top 20.

Warhurst Claims Championship Crown

Kristin Warhurst

Brooke Braun

Anna Heim

April Anderson

Kirby Baker

Allison Kippers

Alexandra Anderson

Robyn Daniel

Mobile’s Kristin Warhurst, an Alabama signee, shot a 6 over par 222 and edged Brooke Braun of Metairie, LA by 2 shots for the Girls Overall Championship. Warhurst shot 74-74-74, while Braun’s opening round, even par 72 established her as the first round leader (Braun shot 72-79-73-224).

Warhurst shot 35-39-74 on her final round and birdied the par five 6th hole. Braun, who has signed with Nicholls State, birdied 3, 6 & 18 on Sunday and shot 35-38-73. Lafayette’s Anna Heim, a rising senior, shot even par 36 on Friday’s front (with birdies on 1, 2 & 6) and finished at 4 over 76 for the day. Heim closed at 233 in third place. Heim birdied 8 & 12 on Sunday and shot 2 over on the back. April Anderson of Charlotte, NC posted a second round 76 enroute to a 245 and a 4th place finish. Kirby Baker shot a final round 79 to close at 251 and take home 5th. Zachary’s Allison Kippers closed with an 81 enroute to 6th. Alexandra Anderson shot an opening round 84 and finished 7th. Robyn Daniel shot 82 on Saturday and finished 8th, while Susannah Barber of Baton Rouge opened with an 86 enroute to 9th.

Deloach and Spears Stage Title Bout

Daniel Deloach (69-71-72-212) of Boyce, LA posted a final round, even par 72 to finish 4 under and 1 stroke ahead of hard charging Chuck Spears (74-79-70-213) of Pineville, LA in the Boys 12-14’s. Deloach carded birdies on 2, 8 & 11 on Sunday while firing a 2 under 34 on the front. Spears birdied 5, 6 & 9 and turned in 3 under 33 to set the stage for the back nine battle.

Taylor Billings of Kenner, LA opened with an even par 72 and closed with a 1 over 73 enroute to a 225 and 3rd place. Billings eagled the par five 6th and birdied 3, 8 & 11 on Sunday. Sam Justice (76-78-77) of Baton Rouge was 4th with a 231 effort, while Shreveport’s Matthew Delaney (77-78-78) and Mandeville’s Brandon Pierce (81-80-72) tied for 5th. Delaney played his most consistent AJGT golf to date and Pierce, the recent Age Division Champion at the Northshore Junior Classic, fired a final round, even par 72. Ross Davis (84-75-75) and Adam Galliano (78-80-76), both of Baton Rouge, tied for 7th at 234. Davis played the final 36 holes in 6 over, while Galliano carded a final round 76 that included birdies on 10 & 12. Connor Cavin (83-79-80) of Baton Rouge posted a second round 79 enroute to 9th, while Matthew Moss (85-76-83) of Choudrant, LA shot a second round 76 to round out the Top Ten.

Beebe Edges Bradley & Nguyen

Caroline Beebe (75-80-80) of Spanish Fort, AL finished 1 shot better than Mandeville’s Elise Bradley (76-78-82) and 2 shots ahead of Jennifer Nguyen (78-77-82) of Slidell, LA to take home the Girls 12-14 Age Division Title. Beebe, who finished 4th overall, carded an opening round 75. Beebe carded an even par 36 on Friday’s front and birdied 2 & 10 on the day. Bradley shot 1 over 37 on Friday’s front and turned 1 shot out of the lead. Nguyen shot 2 over 38 on Friday’s back nine.

Bradley birdied 11 on Sunday and shot 3 over 39 on the front enroute to her second place finish. Bradley finished 5th overall. Nguyen shot 77 on Saturday and finished 6th overall and 2 shots out of the lead in the Girls 12-14’s.

The trio also staged an exceptionally close points race, which required the tournament finish to determine. Sydney Cavin shot 44 on Sunday’s front nine enroute to a 4th place finish.