The end of the Louisiana Mid-Amateur played out with plenty of drama, from both players and Mother Nature. Three players finished 54 holes tied at 8-under 208 at Le Triomphe Golf and Country Club, and it got crazier from there.
Brandon Aydlett of Metairie, James Fuselier of Laplace and Hank Shaheen of Dequincy entered sudden death at the par-4 18th to determine a champion. Shaheen had the best opportunity to close out the championship with a 4-foot birdie putt, but it burned the edge and he settled for par. Aydlett also made par, while Fuselier narrowly missed his par putt and was eliminated.
The eighth hole plays 158 yards, and a right hole location brought a water hazard heavily into play. Aydlett was first to hit, and his tee shot bounced off the edge of a bulkhead and into the water. Shaheen took the water out of play but launched his tee shot over the green to the left.
From the drop zone, Aydlett hit his third shot to within 12 feet of the hole. Shaheen gingerly hit his chip shot, and it stopped just beyond the ridge in the middle of the green but still 20 feet short of the hole. Shaheen missed his par putt, and Aydlett had a chance to extend the playoff, but he missed his bogey putt to the left and had to tap in for a double-bogey 5. Shaheen made his bogey putt to win and clinch his first LGA Mid-Amateur Championship.
This victory is especially sweet for Shaheen, who finished third in this event last year. Shaheen got himself into the playoff with a final-round 65. The round included eagles at the par-5 first (555 yards) and the par-5 14th (513 yards). He had a back-nine 31.
Information from the Louisiana Golf Association used in this report