Featured photo courtesy of the Louisiana Golf Association
Benton rising senior Abigail McWilliams won the 96th Louisiana Golf Association Women’s Amateur Championship Sunday at Lake Charles Country Club.
The tournament used a match-play format after an 18-hole qualifying round Friday.
The 16-year-old McWilliams defeated Brusly’s Maci Williams in 20 holes in the championship match. That followed a 2-up victory over New Orleans’ Daozeng Liu in the semifinals.
In the title match, McWilliams won holes No. 6, 7 and 8 go 3-up. Williams rallied to tie on the back nine.
Both players then made par on the par-5 18th. McWilliams made par on the the par-3 No. 3 hole with a shot out of the bunker to win the championship.
McWilliams started match play, which consisted of 16 players, with a 4 and 2 victory over Baton Rouge’s Jessica Varner on Saturday. She then defeated Denham Springs’ Evelynn Artieta 1-up in the quarterfinals.
McWilliams tied for fourth in the stroke-play qualifying round with a 3-over 76.
In May, McWilliams and Grace Goodwin won the Division I state championship for Benton.