Mandeville High School incoming freshman golfer Elise Bradley captured the Gulf States Junior PGA Championship July 1-2 at Copper Mill Golf Club in Zachary. Bradley, a 14-year-old, who graduated from Lake Castle Private School in Madisonville, fired a seven under par 137 total, finishing nine strokes ahead of Mandeville’s Jinjutha Noibanchong. Bradley, competing in the 13-18 year-old category, fashioned an opening round four under par 68 on Monday with five birdies and just one bogey. The bogey occurred on the par 5, 18th hole. Bradley finished with a three-under par 69 on Tuesday including five birdies and two bogeys. By virtue of her victory, Bradley qualifies for the National Junior PGA Championship to be held next month in Ohio.

“It was very exciting winning my first championship,” Bradley said. “It was a career low for me. I was playing against some older players so I was happy to win. My short game was working really well for me. My putting was one of the strong points of my game.

I took 29 putts each day,” Bradley added.

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Bradley said she hit the ball well off the tee in the tournament, but her second round was better.

“It was pretty nerve racking waiting to play the second round.”

Bradley said she is anxiously looking forward to being a part of the Mandeville Lady Skippers golf team.

Noibanchong, 15, a Beau Chene resident, carded rounds of 73 and 73 for a two over total of 146. She is entering her sophomore year at Mount Carmel. She gave credit to Bradley for playing so strong.

“She did a good job playing well the first day, and was consistent,” Noibanchong said. “We have played a couple practice rounds together and have also faced each other in a couple of tournaments,” Noibanchong added.

“In my rounds, I was able to hit the ball in the fairway. I tried to make the most of my second shots after getting the ball in the fairway.”

In the boys 16-18 year-old competition, Mandeville High golfer Blake Kelley, who will be entering his senior year, earned a third place finish six strokes behind Alabama’s Bobby Wyatt who won the title with a 12-under total of 132, including a blistering final round 62, featuring 10 birdies. Wyatt finished one stroke ahead of Hahnville’s Andrew Noto, who shot rounds of 65 and 68.

Kelley shot an opening round one over par 73 on Monday before taming the course with an impressive seven-under par 65 in Tuesday’s final round. Kelley carded an eagle three on the 510-yard, par 5 ninth hole. Kelley had four birdies on the back nine in his final round, including birdies on the final two holes to fashion his 65. Kelley mastered the par 5s scratching out nine birdies, including four in the opening round and five in the final round. Kelley said he was really pleased with his tournament as he established his all-time low round of 65.

His previous low round was a 67 that he shot a year ago at The Links at Pelican Point in Gonzales.

“I putted solid. I didn’t make mistakes, and I took advantage of most of my birdie opportunities. I had 18 putts at birdie in the second round,” Kelley said.

Kelley said he tipped his hat to both Wyatt and Noto for playing such solid golf.

One of Kelley’s Skippers’ teammates, Evans Haile, entering his junior year, earned a tie for eleventh place with two rounds of 78.