By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

LAPLACE — It was a breezy, beautiful weekend for the Mackel Stroke Play Championship of New Orleans in their 15th annual golf tournament. But that didn’t stop it from going into a dead heat.

The three-day competition culminated Sunday with a three-way tie between Kevin Sohn, Scott Sterbcow and Jarrett Walker, who all ended with a 221. The tie was broken on the second playoff hole by Jarrett Walker where he took a stroke lead to win the championship.

&#8220I wasn’t even going to get into the tournament until I had some family convince me to give it a shot,” said Walker. &#8220I’d been away from the game for a while, but I thought I’d just give it a shot for fun. I’m sure glad they twisted my arm now.”

Walker, a native of Luling and a Hahnville High School graduate, saved his best golf of the tournament for Sunday, posting a 71 to break onto the leaderboard after shooting a 75 both Friday and Saturday. He entered Sunday three shots behind and worked his way into the top tier with a string of birdies on holes 12, 13, 14 and 15. Walker then made par on the final two holes and trailed Sohn by just one. After a bogey by Sohn, and a par for Sterbcow, the three finished the three rounds all with a score of 221.

That put the three of them back on the number nine hole where Walker and Sterbcow both made par while Sohn bogeyed. The second playoff on hole nine found both Walker and Sterbcow using the three wood. Walker’s shot sailed right, landing under trees with casual water while Sterbcow landed down the middle fairway. But Walker saved himself by chipping onto the green two feet ahead of Sterbcow as they were each on their second shot. Sterbcow’s putt couldn’t manage to make it up the incline, rolling back just before it made the climb.

Walker took advantage, chipping his shot just up past the hole, leaving him with a seven-footer that gave him a prime opportunity.

&#8220That was the scariest seven-foot putt of my life,” Walker said. &#8220But when I hit it, I just started walking. I knew it was in. [Sterbcow’s] shot was a very tough one. I’d had the exact same one in the third round. Since I had made that one, I knew I had a chance to play well. I just didn’t want to get greedy. Didn’t want to lose by hitting a goofy shot.”

&#8220That was the scariest seven-foot putt of my life,” Walker said. &#8220But when I hit it, I just started walking. I knew it was in. [Sterbcow’s] shot was a very tough one. I’d had the exact same one in the third round. Since I had made that one, I knew I had a chance to play well. I just didn’t want to get greedy. Didn’t want to lose by hitting a goofy shot.”

Sterbcow finished with second place in the tournament and was the steadiest of the bunch over the weekend, shooting rounds of 72, 76 and 73. Sohn took third overall after leading by four strokes through the first day of play with a 69. But he ran into a rough patch in round two, posting an 81 to drop him out of the lead. He recovered with a 71 on Sunday and had a chance to take the win on his final hole until he bogeyed to send it to the playoff.

Finishing up fourth was last year’s Mackel third place finisher, Scott Martin, who entered the final day of the competition with a one-stroke lead after shooting a 73 in round one and a 74 for round two. But he couldn’t quite keep pace with the three leaders and finished Sunday with a 76 for a 223 total. Rounding out the top five was Andy Bower and Frank Briseno, both with 225.

&#8220We had another good one this year,” said Belle Terre club pro Bruce Bell of the Mackel tournement. &#8220We had it here last year after the hurricane and it’s pretty much here to stay now. The course was good, the competition was good… and it was a great finish Sunday. You really can’t ask for much more.”