Endurance is always a factor at the Baton Rouge Amateur golf tournament, and Sunday’s championship match was no different for Mark Bienvenu, who outlasted Jacob Maranto 4 and 3 to win the title at BREC’s Santa Maria Golf Course.

Fourth-seeded Bienvenu and No. 7 Maranto each won semifinal matches Sunday morning to advance to the championship match. Bienvenu defeated top-seeded Jeremy Gautreaux 4 and 3 while Maranto got past No. 3 Carter Schmitt 1 up.

Bienvenu’s play stayed on an even keel in the afternoon, but Maranto, who never trailed at any point during his first three matches, was unable to keep pace. Against Bienvenu, he lost the first three holes and couldn’t make up ground the rest of the match.

The Baton Rouge Amateur win was the first for Bienvenu. He had earned a spot in the 16-man field each of the previous five years but never advanced past the quarterfinals until this year. Bienvenu’s name will be engraved on the Baton Rouge Amateur trophy, which lists champions as far back as the 1950s.

“It’s an amazing feeling, especially with the quality of the names on that trophy beside me. I’m really honored,” Bienvenu said. “Match play is grueling. To get through two days of pure heat and wind, it was a grind and I’m very proud.”

Beinvenu took a 5-up lead into the back nine after he made a 6-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole. Maranto had chances to cut into the lead at holes 12 and 13, when Beinvenu made back-to-back bogeys.

At the 12th hole, Maranto three-putted for bogey from the left fringe, and three-putted again from 30 feet below the hole at 13 as the match went dormie with five holes to play.

Maranto extended the match with a birdie at 14, but gained no more ground at the par-5 15th hole. He saved par after his third shot approach came up short of the green, but it was only good enough to halve the hole.

“The front nine really killed me. I think we were even on the back,” said Maranto, who played 56 holes, eight more than Beinvenu, during the first three rounds. “It was brutal to play that many holes. It takes a lot out of you to keep hitting good shots.”

Maranto hit the shots he needed to in his semifinal win over Schmitt. The match was all square through 17 holes, but Maranto won the par-5 18th hole and the match with a par. Schmitt hit his second shot into the water fronting the green while Maranto laid up and eventually two-putted for his par.

Against Gautreaux, Beinvenu won two of the first three holes and led the rest of the way. Gautreaux won the Baton Rouge Open last month and has already secured enough points to earn BREC’s player of the year award with one tournament remaining.

“I’ve lost to (Gautreaux) before in this tournament even though I’ve always played really well when I lost,” Beinvenu said. “It definitely felt good to get through him. I woke up knowing I was going to have to bring it.”

Results from the Baton Rouge Amateur at Santa Maria Golf Course

Round of 16

Jeremy Gautreaux – bye

Nicholas Cristea def. Craig Rose 5 and 3

Mark Bienvenu def. Blake Gautreaux 3 and 1

Luke Schwartzenburg def. Carter Evans 1 up

David Marsh – bye

Jacob Maranto def. Stephen Maciasz 2 and 1

Carter Schmitt def. Ken Collins 5 and 3

Clay Pinson def. Owen Stalnaker 6 and 4

Quarterfinals

Gautreaux def. Cristea 20 holes

Bienvenu def. Schwartzenburg 3 up

Maranto def. Marsh 20 holes

Schmitt def. Pinson 1 up

Semifinals

Bienvenu def. Gautreaux 4 and 3

Maranto def. Schmitt 1 up

Final

Bienvenu def. Maranto 4 and 3