ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / July 15, 2000

LAPLACE – Two local young golfers placed in the Gulf States Section PGA Junior Championship held at the Belle Terre Country Club in LaPlace this week.

Steve Luminais Jr., 17, of Reserve, won first place in 16-17 age group andwas second overall in the tournament. Luminais shot a 75 on the first dayand a 72 on the second day for a total of a three over par 147.

Brett Bergeron, 17, also of Reserve, came in second behind Luminais in his age group and third overall in the tournament. Bergeron shot a 79 first-dayround and a final round of 70 for a total of 5 over par 149. He also tiedwith Matthew Shoemaker of Petal, Miss., and Kevin Jones of CrystalSprings, Miss., for third place overall.Ryan Peters of Destrehan finished 16th in the 12-13 age group.

The PGA Junior Championships is open to boys and girls ages 17 and under.

Champions from each of the PGA’s 41 sections go to Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to compete in the PGA National Championship in August.The overall winners from the Belle Terre tournament were 14-year-old Jared Mayfield of Shreveport for the boys and 15-year old Amanda Mathis of Picayune, Miss., for the girls.Mayfield shot a two-day 146, two-over-par, a one-stroke victory over Luminais, and Mathis shot a two-day total of 173 and an eight-stroke victory over Rebecca Struthers of Baton Rouge.

Both Luminais and Bergeron said the best part of their game was their iron shots.

“I hit a lot of the greens,” said Luminais.

Bergeron said he could have done better in his putting.

“I didn’t hit all the putts I wanted,” said Bergeron. “I missed a couple of 5-footers.”Both young men are going to be busy for the next two weeks. First theyare going to Alexandria to play in the Alex Junior State Open, then they head back down to Lafayette to compete in the Louisiana Junior Amateur Tournament on July 19.

Top overall finishers Boys: First Place: Jared Mayfield, Shreveport Second Place: Steve Luminais Jr., Reserve Third Place: Brett Bergeron, Reserve; Matthew Shoemaker, Petal, Miss.;and Kevin Jones, Crystal Springs, Miss.

Sixth Place: Kevin Hall, Oxford Miss., and Mac Lee, Brandon, Miss.Girls: First Place: Amanda Mathis, Picayune, Miss.

Second Place: Rebecca Struthers, Baton Rouge, and Stephanie Beale, Pass Christian, Miss.

Fourth Place: Clare Schneider, Mandeville.

Fifth Place: Emily Bell, Gulfport, Miss.

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