Improved course conditions and cooler late-August weather set the stage for a competitive Veterans Golfers Association event as Trey Long, Jacob Hawn, Michael Lemieux and other military veterans captured flight victories.
PHENIX CITY, Ala. | The Veterans Golfers Association returned to Lakewood Golf Course for a late-August competition that combined improving course conditions, lower scores and the camaraderie that has become a hallmark of VGA events across the South.
Players representing the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard competed across multiple flights, with golfers traveling from Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
The competition also featured four proximity contests, with John Johnson, Rodney Allen, Trey Long and Doug Fiest taking honors.
But the results told only part of the story.
For competitors returning to Lakewood after several years away, improvements to the golf course were immediately noticeable.
Lakewood's Course Improvements Draw Praise
Lakewood's fairways were in very good condition, while the greens showed significant improvement from the VGA's previous visit.
Players found putting surfaces with few noticeable imperfections, contributing to scoring conditions that helped produce lower numbers across several flights.
The course's continued progress made an impression on organizers.
Just as important was the performance of the Lakewood staff, whose service throughout the event drew praise for helping make the tournament one of the VGA group's strongest visits to the facility.
The positive experience has organizers already looking forward to a potential return next season.
Cooler Weather Helps Set Stage for Lower Scores
Late August golf in Alabama often means managing extreme heat as carefully as course strategy.
This event offered at least some relief.
Instead of temperatures pushing into the upper 90s, conditions remained in the lower 90s, while the heat index stayed below 100 degrees. A welcome breeze added another layer of relief for competitors navigating the course.
Those conditions coincided with an overall improvement in scoring compared with recent weeks.
And several players took advantage.
Michael Lemieux Fires 79 to Win No Handicap Division
One of the day's strongest gross performances belonged to Michael Lemieux, a U.S. Navy veteran from Cataula, Georgia.
Lemieux posted a 79 to claim the No Handicap flight, producing the lowest listed gross score among the day's flight winners.
Breaking 80 in tournament competition provided one of the standout performances of the event and gave Lemieux a victory against a field of fellow military veterans.
The Veteran B and Veteran C divisions produced identical winning gross scores.
Trey Long, a U.S. Air Force veteran from Opelika, Alabama, shot 82 to capture the Veteran B flight.
Jacob Hawn, representing the U.S. Army and Fortson, Georgia, also carded an 82, earning the Veteran C championship.
Long wasn't finished.
He later added a proximity victory on Hole No. 15, giving him both a flight title and a closest-to-the-pin honor.
Earnest, Hopper and Carlisle Claim Flight Championships
In Veteran D, U.S. Air Force veteran Dylan Earnest of Alabaster, Alabama, posted an 88 gross and 72 net to secure the flight victory.
The Wounded Veteran C championship went to James Hopper, a U.S. Army veteran from Leeds, Alabama. Hopper recorded an 89 gross and 75 net.
One of the day's strongest net performances came from the Female Veteran division.
Deandra Carlisle, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Phenix City, Alabama, captured Female Veteran D after shooting 90 gross and 71 net.
Carlisle's 71 placed her among the lowest net winners of the tournament.
Senior Flights Produce Tight Scoring
The competition remained strong in the senior divisions.
Harold Tukes, an Army veteran from Macon, Georgia, won Senior B with an 87 gross and 73 net.
In Senior C, Army veteran Paul Forsythe of Columbus, Georgia, posted an 86 gross and 71 net.
Forsythe's net 71 matched Carlisle for the lowest listed winning net score of the event.
The combination of strong gross and net scores across the divisions reflected what organizers saw throughout the day: scoring was trending downward as competitors took advantage of better conditions.
Lakewood Golf Course Flight Winners
The complete flight results:
- Veteran B — Trey Long (USAF), Opelika, Alabama: 82
- Veteran C — Jacob Hawn (USA), Fortson, Georgia: 82
- No Handicap — Michael Lemieux (USN), Cataula, Georgia: 79
- Veteran D — Dylan Earnest (USAF), Alabaster, Alabama: 88/72
- Wounded Veteran C — James Hopper (USA), Leeds, Alabama: 89/75
- Female Veteran D — Deandra Carlisle (USMC), Phenix City, Alabama: 90/71
- Senior B — Harold Tukes (USA), Macon, Georgia: 87/73
- Senior C — Paul Forsythe (USA), Columbus, Georgia: 86/71
Long Among Four Proximity Winners
Accuracy was also rewarded through four proximity competitions.
- Hole No. 2 — John Johnson (USA), Phenix City, Alabama
- Hole No. 7 — Rodney Allen (USA), Fort Mitchell, Alabama
- Hole No. 15 — Trey Long (USAF), Opelika, Alabama
- Hole No. 17 — Doug Fiest (USCG), Collinsville, Mississippi
Long's victory at No. 15 completed an especially successful day for the Air Force veteran after his 82 had already secured the Veteran B flight championship.
VGA Competition Goes Beyond the Scorecard
While tournament golf provides the competitive framework, VGA events carry a mission that extends beyond scores, flight championships and proximity prizes.
The Veterans Golfers Association brings together military veterans through golf, providing opportunities for competition and fellowship among participants who share the experience of military service.
That mission is reflected in the organization's familiar message:
"It's more than just a game."
The Lakewood field illustrated that reach.
Competitors traveled from communities across Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, representing multiple generations and branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
On this day, they competed against one another.
But the larger purpose was bringing veterans together.
A Successful Return to Lakewood
From improved fairways and greens to lower scores and more manageable weather, the VGA's return to Lakewood offered plenty of reasons for optimism.
The tournament also served as a showcase for golfers from the VGA communities of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi.
Lemieux walked away with the day's lowest winning gross score at 79. Carlisle and Forsythe shared the lowest listed winning net score at 71. Long captured both his flight and a proximity contest.
Yet every competitor contributed to what organizers viewed as an especially successful tournament.
The Lakewood staff also earned recognition for going above and beyond in supporting the event and its participants.
For the Veterans Golfers Association, that combination of competition, hospitality, and fellowship made the latest stop another reminder of why veterans continue to return.
The scorecards determine the winners.
The community makes the event.
And after a successful day at Lakewood, the VGA is already looking forward to its next opportunity to tee it up.
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-- By James W. Thomas
© Copyright 2026 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed in any form without written permission.
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