Third state title in five years for Saints, Kye Hanks earns individual medalist honor

FILE PHOTO - Kye Hanks won individual medalist honors at the Division II, District 2 tournament on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at the Lake Charles Country Club with a 9-under 63. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press)
Rain and lightning cut the second round of the high school state golf championships on Tuesday to nine holes, but it was more than enough for the St. Louis Catholic boys.
The Saints won their third Division II state title in five years, and junior Kye Hanks won the individual medalist honor. St. Louis beat last year's runner-up, Teurlings Catholic, by 28 strokes (457-485) at Farm d'Allie Golf Club in Carencro.
'I couldn't be prouder of this group of kids,' St. Louis head coach Pat Neck said. 'They worked really hard on their games.
'Everybody improved from the beginning of the season to the end. It was a total team effort. We used everyone's score at one time or another throughout the season. It is a great way to send our one senior (Samuel Broussard) out.'
Play was suspended one hole into the back nine after the Louisiana High School Athletic Association stopped play at all sites, Neck said. All state tournaments were cut to 27 holes from the standard 36 over two days. Cane Row Golf Club in New Iberia, host site of the boys Division IV tournament, experienced a hailstorm Tuesday.
Hanks shot a 2-under 106 to beat Holy Cross' Fulton Pigeon by seven strokes. Hanks was also the regional and district medalist.
'It feels great,' Hanks said. 'It really just matters that we got the team win. That is what we all had in mind. That is what we all wanted after last year.'
After shooting a 3-under 69 on Monday, Hanks started the rain-shortened second round with back-to-back bogies, plus a double bogey on No. 6. But he mixed in birdies on Nos. 4, 5 and 9 to get to 1 over before play was halted.
'My irons were very good,' Hanks said. 'I didn't get off the tee too well or around the green too well, but I was able to get in some good spots going into the green and was able to knock a couple of putts down.'
Broussard finished third at 115 and junior Kane Hanks was fifth at 116.
Girls
At the Division I girls tournament at Les Vieux Chenes in Youngsville, Barbe finished as the runner-up to Benton for a second consecutive year.
Mattie Purgahn, last year's medalist, placed fifth 5-over 115, while Maggie Dressler tied for sixth with Ruston's Kate Boersma at 117.
Brusly's Maci Williams won the medalist honor at 6 under to beat Benton's Grace Goodwin by three strokes. She shot a 70 on Monday and was 2 under Tuesday before play was suspended.
In Division II, Westlake's Ali Evans placed fifth and led her team to a third-place finish at 277. Sacred Heart-New Orleans won the team title with a 10-over 234, while Episcopal was second at 242.
Evans shot 17-over 129 in the 27-hole tournament.

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