NEW ORLEANS — An LSU Tiger was crowned champion of the Louisiana Golf Association Amateur Championship for the seventh time in nine years as sophomore standout Andrew Loupe took the title in a dramatic one-hole playoff Sunday at English Turn Golf and Country Club.
Loupe teed off in the final round trailing University of New Orleans sophomore Ken Looper by a two-shot count, but fired an impressive 4-under 68 on Sunday to tie Looper following 72 holes of competition with a four-round score of 11-under par 277.
The duo headed back to the 16th tee for a sudden-death playoff to determine the winner of the 90th edition of the state’s most prestigious championship sponsored by the LGA.
Looper found trouble off the tee has his ball settled against the lip of the waste area to the right of the fairway. After being forced to pitch out into the fairway, his approach came to rest 12 feet from the cup with a chance to save par. But Loupe wasted no time in taking the title as he drained an 18-foot birdie put to put an exclamation point onto the end of an exciting championship.
Loupe was impressive all weekend long as he sandwiched rounds of 4-under par 68 in Thursday’s first round and Sunday’s final round with a 1-under 71 in Friday’s second round and a 2-under 70 in Saturday’s third round for a 72-hole score of 11-under 277.
Loupe continued LSU’s dominance in the annual event as he is the seventh Tiger in nine years to win the prestigious LGA Amateur Championship, joining the likes of former LSU standouts Alan Morgan (2001), John Humphries (2003), Garrett Prather (2004), Aaron Smith (2005), Chris Wells (2006) and Jarrod Barsamian (2008) as recent champions.
In fact, Barsamian tied for sixth place in his title defense after posting a 72-hole score of even-par 288. LSU freshman Austin Gutgsell also competed and earned a 14th-place finish in the event.