St. Tammany News

Mandeville High junior fashions one under par 143 total

Golfer Blake Kelley, a junior at Mandeville High, captured the Arrowhead Junior Golf Tour's Beau Chene Junior Classic Boys Overall Championship Oct. 14 with a one under par 143 total. The tournament was played on the Magnolia Course under superb golf conditions.

Mandeville High junior golfer Blake Kelley shows off his trophy after winning the Arrowhead Junior Golf Tour's Beau Chene Junior Classic Boys Overall Championship.

Kelley's tournament total was the first sub-par two-day tournament score ever posted at Beau Chene from the blue tees in the Boys 15-19 age group. Kelley won by six strokes over Matt Decell and Garrett Westbrook, high school teammates at St. Michael's in Baton Rouge. Kelley's Mandeville High teammate Evans Haile, a sophomore, earned a ninth-place finish with a 156 total (82 and 74).

Kelley recorded four birdies en route to an opening round, 3 under-par 69 to give him a three-shot lead over Decell following last Saturday's opening round.

"The first day I putted lights out," Kelley said. "I got hot for a little bit and started making a lot of putts. I made a 5-footer for a par on the first hole. I opened with three puts outside of 5 feet so I felt comfortable, and I was really loose. I just kept it going from there," the Mandeville High junior said.

He said it's always great to win a tournament, and it felt really good.

"It's good to show up and post a low number, but it's even better when you win," he said.

Kelley set the tone early as he birdied two of the first three holes of the tourney, including the 515-yard par five second hole and the par three third.

Kelley shot a 2 under-par 34 on the front nine. He posted a 35 on the back nine, the opening day, carding birdies on the 515-yard par five 16th and the 390-yard par four 18th.

He went out in one under par (35) on last Sunday's front nine, using birdies on the 360-yard, par four fourth and the 400-yard par four eighth hole. Kelley notched two more birdies on the back nine.

"In the final round I started off good, and I felt it was going to be a good day. I just relaxed on the way in," Kelley said.

"My goal was just to keep the ball in play the whole time. I didn't make any really big mistakes."

In addition to his consistent putting, Kelley was solid with his driver, averaging about 275 yards off the tee.

"Stepping up to the tee, I thought I was going to hit the fairways. I've been going through a couple swing changes, and things are going well," he said.

In July, Kelley won the AJGT Overall Boys Championship at The Links at Pelican Point in Gonzales by six strokes over Parham Booker of Pace, Fla. Kelley shot a five under par total of 139, including rounds of 67 and 72. Kelley has also finished fourth, 11th and 13th in his other three events this year.

Other local finishers in the AJGT Boys 15-19 age group at Beau Chene:

19. Mandeville's Jordan Cardwell, 87-79=166; Tie 20th. Slidell's Chris Burson, 85-85=170; 26. Mandeville's Patrick Hagood, 94-88=182; 29. Slidell's Timothy Harris, 99-90=189; 30. Mandeville's Robert Zacary, 95-102=197.

Local finishers in the Boys 12-14 category: Tie 3rd. Covington's Brandon Pierce, 78-79=157; 9. Covington's McCray Sutherlin, 91-87=178; 10. Slidell's Zachary Harris, 94-85=179; 12. Mandeville's Brent Stokes, 109-111=220.

Local finishers girls 15-19: 4. Mandeville's Sarah DeVillier, 84-82=166; Tie 5th. Pair Noibanchong, 93-78=171; 9. Mandeville's Mary Lee Holmes, 97-99=196.

Girls 12-14: 1. Mandeville's Elise Bradley, 83-81=164.