AVONDALE   — LSU senior golfer Andrew Loupe dreams of playing on the PGA Tour once his collegiate career wraps up.
Thursday, he learned how hard chasing that dream can be.
Playing in the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic after qualifying Monday, Loupe made just one birdie en route to posting a 10-over-par 82, the worst round of the day.
Starting on the back nine, the senior began by making pars on the 10th and 11th holes.
“I felt like I had control over my ball in warmup,” Loupe said. “On the 10th tee, there were nerves, but I wasn’t nervous per se. I was excited.”
From there, however, his round began to unravel as he made three bogeys over the next four holes before wrapping his first nine holes with a double-bogey on the 18th hole.
“I just lost control over my golf ball,” Loupe said.
Loupe struggled with his driver and putter, an unforgiving combination on a difficult course.
He needed 35 putts to complete his round — more than any other golfer in the field.
“I missed numerous short putts,” Loupe said. “The longest putt I made was eight feet on the third hole.”
Although his average driving distance of 334 yards was second in the field, he tied for last by hitting four of 14 fairways — a driving percentage of 28.57 percent.
Loupe drove the ball into the water on two holes, both of which resulted in double-bogeys.
“I will come out tomorrow and do better,” Loupe said. “I have a lot of self-confidence. My execution just wasn’t there.”
Playing in front of one of the day’s largest galleries, former LSU golfer David Toms racked up four birdies while shooting 2-under to finish tied for 21st place.
The day belonged to emerging PGA Tour superstar Bubba Watson, who tied with Australian golfer Matt Jones for the first-round lead with a 6-under 66.
Watson, who took two weeks off after playing the Masters, said TPC Louisiana is a course that has always given him trouble.
“The way the course is, it just doesn’t fit my eye,” he said. “Today, it just worked out. I made some putts, hit some good iron shots and somehow came out with a six-under.”
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