Ochsner Health LHSAA state boys’ and girls’ golf championships begin Monday

LAFAYETTE – For the ninth straight year, Louisiana’s best high school golfers will converge Monday and Tuesday on Acadiana as the area hosts the 2024 Ochsner Health LHSAA state boys’ and girls’ golf championships.

Championship play begins Monday at 8 a.m. for the four boys divisions and 9 a.m. for the two girls divisions in the first of two 18-hole rounds over four different courses. Approximately 250 boys’ and girls’ qualifiers from last week’s regional competitions are taking part in six divisions determined by enrollment.

Boys Divisions I and IV will compete at The Wetlands Golf Club (6,348 yards, par 72) in Lafayette, while boys Division II plays at Cane Row Golf Club (6,291 yards, par 72) in New Iberia and boys Division III plays at The Farm ‘dAllie (6,536 yards, par 72) in Carencro. Girls Division I and II girls will return to Les Vieux Chenes Golf Club (5,679 yards, par 74) in Youngsville.

Twelve regional tournaments were held across the state last Monday-Wednesday, two in each division, with the top four teams and the top four individuals not on those teams in each regional qualifying for the state championships.

The 2020 state tournament was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but has been staged in the Acadiana area every other year since 2015 at different sites.

Five of last year ‘s team champions made it through regional qualifying and are back to defend their titles, with only Ursuline Academy in girls Division II not making it through the regional round. One returning winner, Ascension Episcopal of Youngsville in boys Division III, will be going for a sixth straight title, while C. E. Byrd of Shreveport has won six of the last eight championships in boys Division I. In the girls’ divisions, Barbe of Lake Charles will be going for its fourth straight title in Division I

The other returning team champions are St. Louis Catholic in boys Division II and Episcopal of Acadiana in boys Division IV.

In contrast to the team competition, only one of the six individual medalists from 2023 returns to defend a title. Jade Neves of the Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans won last year’s girls Division I title by one shot over The Willow School’s Teagan Connors, who is also returning this year.

The state tournaments are open to the public at no charge at all four sites. A very limited number of carts are available for rental to spectators at all four courses on a first-come, first-served basis. A coaches’ meeting will be held one hour prior to the first tee time at each of the four courses with attendance mandatory for all coaches.

Awards to the top two teams and the top individuals in each division at each course after the conclusion of Tuesday’s second and final round.