APT says Houma gets "three thumbs up" for tournament

Logan McCracken won the Mary Bird Perkins Terrebonne General Medical Center Golf Classic this weekend, shooting a 14-under 274 — four strokes better than Eric Ricard and Taylor Montgomery who tied for second.

But while McCracken left Ellendale with the trophy and the prize money, he and others with the All Pro Tour said it was the city of Houma that was the big winner in the weekend event.

Officials with the APT said the Houma area is an ideal host for the all-week event, adding that the Pro Am was first-class and the Friday Night Glo-Ball was also a hit.

All Pro Tour Director Kris Corbett said the week got “three thumbs up, if I had a third thumb.”

Proceeds for the event go to the Mary Bird Perkins TGMC Cancer Center.

“We feel incredibly welcome when we roll into Houma,” Corbett said. “That’s why we continually come back. The hospital does a great job. The volunteers and workers make us feel welcome. They all put on a great week. It ended up being a fantastic golf tournament.”

The pros arrived in Houma last weekend to begin preparations for the event. They arrived to a wet course on Monday, then a Pro Am on Tuesday before opening up the tournament last Wednesday.

Corbett said the Pro Am is one of the best events the APT golfers see all year, adding that there were food and drinks on literally every, single hole.

“It’s one of the most top notch days on our tour,” Corbett said. “It’s an amazing day — just the people alone make the day. There are food and drinks everywhere you look. The people welcome us. They welcome the players. Our pros really enjoyed it.”

“It’s always a great time,” APT pro and 2017 champion Michael Arnaud added. “The food in this area is first-class and can’t be beat. This is one of our favorite stops. And we’re not just saying that. It’s really, truly, an event and a city that we all appreciate coming to every year.”

Corbett and pros on the tour say that Ellender is perfect for tournament golf, too, which helps in hosting a big event.

The Tour Director said she didn’t know how scoring would be after rains early last week, then windless days in the early rounds.

But she added that while scoring was low on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Ellender bit back a little bit on Saturday with winds in excess of 30 mph at times, which made things difficult for the players.

“The golf course was in great shape,” Corbett said.

McCracken won the event on Saturday, playing through swift winds ahead of the front that swept through the area on Saturday night.

He entered play in the final round with a 4-stroke lead, but 1-over-par front 9, then a bogey on No. 12 allowed challengers to trim his lead down to one stroke.

But McCracken came back with the hole of the tournament — an eagle on No. 16, which separated himself from the pack and allowed him to take home the trophy and the $20,000 cash prize.

He said he battled early in the round — not because of nerves, but more because he simply wasn’t playing well.

But to finish and win the event was special, according to McCracken.

He finished second at the tournament last year.

“I have a good feel for the golf course, but it was a test. The golf course played different today than it did the others,” he said. “It was an adjustment, but I’m just glad I was able to put together a couple good swings there on the back nine and hang on to the lead and get the win.”

The APT is a traveling golf tour that plays a full season of events throughout the spring and summer. Several players on the APT have active status on the Web.com Tour, which is one rung below the PGA Tour.

Five APT Tour alums — Bubba Watson, Kevin Tway, Andrew Landry, Jimmy Walker and Patrick Reed — played in the Master’s this past weekend.

“Our players are talented and the people in Houma really appreciate that,” Corbett said. “The club really welcomes us and the hospital does a great job. We’re ready for next year already.” •

APT in Houma

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