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Cox Captures Louisiana State Championship

Sunday July 30^th, 2006  

 On a hot and very muggy day the 2006 Louisiana State Championship would be contested at the Lake Charles putt-putt by a field of 21 players. The format would be two rounds of medal play for seeding purposes with 18 players making match play and the top two finishers receiving bye’s into the semifinals. All matched would 18 hole affairs except the final which would be 36 holes.

 Jeffrey Smith would take top seed with a 19 under 51 total for the two rounds. Local’s Byron Kirby and Charles Cox would tie for second seed at 18 under 52 and need a three hole playoff to decide who would get the bye. Cox would win the playoff and get to sit in out of the sun while other players sweated it out.

 The highlight of the first two rounds of the match play portion of the event was the 27 hole match in which Lee Messinger overcame a tough Trevor Lewin to advance. In the two quarter final matches to see would play Jeffrey and Charles it would be Brice Bergesen defeating Steve Tanton in 21 holes and Messinger advancing over Mike Baldoza 2w1.

 In the first semi-final match, Cox would handle Brice Bergesen 3w2 while Messinger advanced past the low medalist Smith 3w1. This would pit defending state champion Messinger against Cox in a 36-hole match.

 Cox would open up a two-hole lead over the first nine holes shooting a seven under 11. Over the next 18 holes the Cox’s lead would fluctuate between 2 and 1 with Messinger not able to get even. With nine holes to go the lead was one. Messinger would put on a charge over the last nine holes making six of the first seven and pulling ahead for his first lead of the match. Going to the 35th hole he held a two hole lead and looked in good shape as he had only missed 17 once and 18 once in his seven times through those holes on the day. Messinger would hit a very bad putt on 17 and take bogey. Cox aced it behind him to get to the 36th hole one down. An ace by Cox put the pressure on, Messinger couldn’t respond just missing the last hole when he hit it a little too hard. Cox would take advantage of the situation by acing the tough 1st hole to win his first ever State Championship on the 37th hole of the match.