No. 7 LSU Golfers Remain On Top Through Two Rounds In Lafayette

BATON ROUGE – The No.7 LSU men’s golf team sprinted out to a lead in the first round of the 40th Louisiana Classics Monday at Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette and will have a three-stroke lead after 36 holes of play entering Tuesday’s final round.

The Tigers posted rounds of 9-under 279 and 6-under 282 for a 36-hole total of 561 (15-under par). That is three shots clear of three-time defending champion Texas A&M, which posted 12-under 564 on rounds of 284 and 280.

The host Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns are in third, the only other team under par after 36 holes at 7-under 569 (289-280). Little Rock is at 1-over 577.

The final round is set for a 9 a.m. shotgun start and the round will be streamed on ESPN+, also beginning at 9 a.m.

LSU got some good scoring in both rounds of the day-long action with Lafayette product, Jay Mendell, on his home course, opening with a six-birdie round of 4-under 68. Another Louisiana product, Noah McWilliams recorded a five-birdie 69; Alfons Bondesson, a five birdie 2-under 70 and Arni Sveinsson an even par round of 72 for the opening set of 9-under par.

In the afternoon round, Sveinsson equaled the team’s low round of the day at 4-under 68 with six birdies, while Bondesson posted another stroke round with a seven birdie 69. Mendell finished at even par 72 and Dylan Kayne came in at 1-over 73 for the 6-under par afternoon score.

Individually, Bondesson is in a group tied for second at 5-under par 139 on rounds of 70-69. He is three shots behind the individual leader Malan Potgieter of Louisiana-Lafayette at 8-under 136 (71-65).

Mendell is in a group tied for fifth at 4-under 140 (68-72) and also in that group is Sveinsson with rounds of 72-68. McWilliams is in a grouping at 143 (1-under) in 14th place and individual player Luke Haskew is also in the top 20 at even par 144 (T18).

The five LSU team lineup players had 44 birdies over the 36 holes on a day when the 6,898 par 72 layout played to an average of 74.08.

LSU led the field on the par 3 holes at 2-under par and also topped the field on the par 4 holes at even par. LSU’s 44 birdies was also a field best.

Sveinsson was second in the field in par 3 scoring at 2-under and Mendell was second in par 4 scoring at 3-under. It was Haskew who led the field on the par 5s, coming in at 7-under par.

Bondesson led the field in total birdies on the first day with 12. Haskew, Sveinsson and Mendell all had 10.

LOUISIANA CLASSICS
Oakbourne Country Club – Lafayette, Louisiana
Second Round Team Results (Par 288-576)
1 LSU 279-282 – 561 -15
2 Texas A&M 284-280 – 564 -12
3 Louisiana-Lafayette 289-280 – 569 -7
4 Little Rock 291-286 – 577 +1
5 Sam Houston 290-289 – 579 +3
6 South Alabama 300-281 – 581 +5
7 Rice 287-296 – 583 +7
8 Oral Roberts 292-294 – 586 +10
9 Louisiana Tech 300-287 – 587 +11
10 Texas State 289-299 – 588 +12
11 Illinois State 297-295 – 592 +16
12 Middle Tennessee 299-294 – 593 +17

Individual Top 5 (Par 72-144)
1 Malan Potgieter, Louisiana-Lafayette – 71-65 – 136 -8
T2 Sakke Siltala, Texas State – 67-72 – 139 -5
T2 Alfons Bondesson, LSU – 70-69 – 139 -5
T2 Phichaksn Maichon, Texas A&M 70-69 – 139 -5
T5 Jay Mendell, LSU – 68-72 – 140 -4
T5 Kyle Bennett, Louisiana-Lafayette – 71-69 – 140 -4
T5 Hugo Thyr, South Alabama – 71-69 – 140 -4
T5 Arni Sveinsson, LSU – 72-68 – 140 -4

LSU Scores
T2 Alfons Bondesson – 70-69 – 139 -5
T5 Jay Mendell – 68-72 – 140 -4
T5 Arni Sveinsson – 72-68 – 140 -4
T14 Noah McWilliams – 69-74 – 143 -1
T18 Luke Haskew* – 72-72 – 144 E
T37 Nick Arcement* – 73-74 – 147 +3
T39 Dylan Kayne – 75-73 – 148 +4
T39 Matty Dodd-Berry* – 76-72 – 148 +4

* competing as individual