Eighty four top-ranked junior golfers from across the nation competed in the 2018 Allstate Sugar Bowl Tommy Moore Memorial held TPC Louisiana, home of the PGA TOUR's Zurich Classic of New Orleans, on December 27-28. Despite rainy conditions, two local Louisiana junior golfers were victorious after two rounds of competitive golf.
Abbey Daniel of Covington, LA and Nicholas Arcement of Thibodaux, LA are the 2018 Allstate Sugar Bowl Tommy Moore Memorial Champions. Daniel captured the Girls Division at (-5), winning by an impressive 12 strokes. Arcement was the top finisher in the Boys Division also at (-5). Both golfers receive instruction at the Rob Noel Golf Academy at Money Hill Golf & Country Club in Abita Springs, LA.
Playing her fourth and final time in the tournament, Daniel is a Mississippi State University signee and mentioned that her finish was the perfect way to kickstart her 2019 season.
“Seeing all of my hard work this offseason pay off was incredible. I managed my game well when the conditions got tough, and I took advantage of birdie opportunities when they were presented, said Daniel. “Being able to come away with a win in front of so many people that I wanted to make proud was a feeling that is hard to describe.”
“I had back to back birdies on 2 and 3 then again on 13 and 14,” said Arcement. “I love playing this course. I like the design of the course. It’s one of my favorite courses to play.”
Placing behind Daniel in the Girls 13-18 Division were 13-year-old Morgan Guepet of New Orleans, LA with a (+7) score and Natalie Cao of Sugar Land, TX with a (+9) score.
Top finishers behind Arcement in the Boys 13-18 Division were decided based on a scorecard playoff. Lance Yates of Baton Rouge, LA finished second with a (+2) score and Brayden Ingebrigtsen of The Woodlands, TX finished third with a (+2) score.
Dave Wolford, golf chairman and Allstate Sugar Bowl member since 1995, visited the event and was impressed with the growth of the tournament since previous years.
“The kids really seem to love this tournament. You can really see their passion for the game,” said Wolford. “I am really impressed with the 15 states that are being represented. It’s grown a lot over the past two years.”
Tommy Moore was the most accomplished junior golfer to ever emerge from the New Orleans area. In 1980, Moore was ranked #1 in the Golf Digest Junior World Rankings and went on to have a decorated collegiate career at Oklahoma State University where he was an All-American, National Champion, and Academic All-American.
After playing on the PGA TOUR for three seasons, Moore's life was cut short at the young age of 35 due to a rare blood disease. In his memory, the Kelly Gibson Foundation is proud to partner with the Allstate Sugar Bowl to host a national event that recognizes the impact Tommy made on junior golf and the New Orleans community.
For more information, please visit http://www.kellygibsonfoundation.org/tommy-moore-memorial
Photography By: Rachelle Morvant