History Made in Round One at the 8th Annual Sam Burns Junior Four-Ball Championship

A look into the first round of the 8th Annual Sam Burns Junior Four-Ball Championship presented by LOTS powered by Legacy Rehab held at Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant, Louisiana on Saturday, February 28, 2026.  

Championship Links: Final Round Pairings and Tee Times | First Round Results | Photo Gallery

100 players competed in the first round of the 8th Annual Sam Burns Junior Four-Ball Championship presented by LOTS powered by Legacy Rehab held at Squire Creek Country Club. Tee times began this morning at 9:00 AM off the 1st and 10th tee. The course played to a par 72 at 6,692 yards for the Overall Boys Division and approximately 5,594 yards for the Overall Girls and Boys 11-13 Division.

Choudrant, LA – It was a beautiful day for the first round of the 8th Annual Sam Burns Junior Four-Ball Championship at Squire Creek Country Club. Clear skies, plenty of sun, and a cool breeze made for ideal scoring conditions, a major switch from the cold and rain this tournament has brought in years past.

In the Overall Girls division, Evelynn Artieta of Denham Springs and Maci Williams of Brusly fired the lowest score in tournament history for the girls division with a whopping 10-under par. Together, they made 11 birdies and just one bogey all day. They rolled in five birdies on the front nine to go out in 32, then added six more on the back, absolutely lighting it up, including five in a row on holes 11–15.

Five shots back in the runner-up spot are Rhyan Marcelissen of Broussard and Grace Goodwin of Bossier City, carding a 5-under par. Marcelissen had one of the shots of the day with an eagle on the par-5 ninth here at Squire Creek Country Club.

In third place heading into tomorrow’s final round are Krysta Loftin of Pearland, Texas, and Makenzie Minshew of Spring, Texas, at 2-under par.

Grey Ramsey of Choudrant and Mac Steltenpohl of Dothan, Alabama, sit at the top of the leaderboard in the Overall Boys division at 7-under par. They were 1-under through the front nine and then really turned it on coming in, shooting 6-under on the back nine, highlighted by an eagle from Steltenpohl on hole 17.

Just two shots behind are Reed Winkler of Shreveport and Reid Habermehl of Tyler, Texas, at 5-under par. They went out in 4-under and added 1-under on the back, finishing the day with just one bogey. There’s a four-way tie for third at 4-under par: Augustin Gros of Metairie and Bennett Underwood of Austin, Texas; Parker Greene and Wayne Kabrich, both of Mandeville; Parker Peeler and Brooks Blanchard of Metairie; and Hudson Greene of Bossier City and Slayte Guidry of Shreveport.

In the Boys 11–13 division, the team of Landon Lotz of Slidell and Crew Galambos of Shreveport finished at the top of the leaderboard, carding a three-under-par 69. Together, they made three birdies and limited themselves to just two bogeys.

Only one shot behind are Cole Irwin of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Charlie Magee of Pass Christian, Mississippi, at two-under par. Tied for third at even par are Samuel Perrodin of Ville Platte and Clark Irwin of Little Rock, Arkansas, along with Bowman Sandifer of Madison, Mississippi, and Gunner Ramey of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Following today’s round, Sam hosted a range session for the players, walking them through his full warm-up routine club by club and sharing how he prepares before competition. He also held a Q&A, answering several questions that were pre-submitted by the players.

LOTS raffled off two Turtlebox speakers to participants in yesterday’s chipping contest during the practice round.

To wrap up the day, we surprised everyone with a putting contest where a handful of players were randomly selected to compete in a three-putt shootout against the “Best Putter on Tour,” Mr. Burns. Grace Goodwin of Bossier City stole the show, sinking two of her three putts to take the win.

It was a full and fun day at Squire Creek, and the Louisiana Junior Golf Tour could not have asked for a better way to kick off the championship.

About the Louisiana Junior Golf Tour

The Louisiana Junior Golf Tour is dedicated to promoting junior golf and developing those junior golfers in the region. Through tournaments, clinics, and educational programs, the tour provides young golfers with opportunities to improve their skills, compete at a high level, and foster a lifelong love for the game. The Louisiana Junior Golf Tour is committed to giving back to young golfers, while also instilling values of sportsmanship, integrity, and camaraderie among its participants. 

For media inquiries and further information, please contact:

Maili Bartz

Director of Marketing and Communications

Email: maili@lgagolf.org