The U.S. Open, one of the ultimate prizes in golf, is being played this week in Los Angeles.
Here in the other “LA,” 156 14- to 18-year-olds who dream of playing in and winning a U.S. Open one day will tee it up starting Wednesday in the 51st Southern Junior Championship at Baton Rouge Country Club.
The tournament, which runs through Friday, never has been played at the venerable Baton Rouge club. It returns to Louisiana for the first time since current UL golfer Charlie Flynn won in 2018 at Squire Creek in Choudrant near Ruston.
Bringing the tournament to BRCC was the dream of club member Jay Babb. A member of the Southern Golf Association board of directors and set to become its president in 2025, Babb persuaded his club to host the event.
“It’s the perfect venue for a junior tournament,” Babb said. “We don’t have a lot of events here. I’m happy the board of our club agreed to do this.
“The state of Louisiana and Visit Baton Rouge have been very supportive. There’s not a lot going on in town this time of year, and we’re bringing 156 juniors with their parents and grandparents. It’s great for the community.”
The field for the Southern Junior includes players from 25 states and five foreign countries. It’s had an impressive list of champions, including former British Open winner Justin Leonard in 1988 and 1989, LIV Golf touring pro Charles Howell III (1994-96), PGA Tour veteran Sean O’Hair in 1998 and another former UL golfer, Andrew Noto, in 2008. Wyatt Plattner of Sarasota, Florida, won the 2022 Southern Junior in Charleston, South Carolina.
This year’s field includes eight of the top 100 juniors in the country, led by No. 20-ranked Kale Fontenot. The Lafayette native, a Georgia Tech signee, is one of 13 Louisiana players in the championship. That number includes No. 28-ranked Jay Mendell, an LSU signee also from Lafayette.
The field of 156 will be cut to the low 66 players and ties after Thursday’s second round. Results are available at www.southerngolf.org.