No. 7 LSU Golf Wins Louisiana Classics; Bondesson's Birdie Seals Third Team Title
2025 Louisiana Classics champions, the LSU Tigers!!!
BATON ROUGE – The No. 7 LSU men’s golf team used a long downhill birdie putt on the final hole from Sweden’s Alfons Bondesson to clinch its third team title of the 2024-25 season in the 40th Louisiana Classics at the Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette.
The putt gave LSU a two-shot win over the three-time defending champions, Texas A&M.
Bondesson’s putt was just the sixth birdie of the day on the 162-yard par 3 hole over water with the flag devilishly tucked just feet over the water’s edge.
That’s A Geaux Tigers 🐯
LSU takes the team title at the Louisiana Classic Champs! pic.twitter.com/AilHIWmn9u
— LSU Men’s Golf (@LSUMensGolf) March 11, 2025
The LSU men posted a final round of four under par 284 to finish 54 holes at 19-under par 845 (279-282-284) to finish two shots ahead of the Aggies at 17-under 847 (284-280-283). The host Ragin Cajuns of Louisiana Lafayette finished third at 857 (7-under) on rounds of 289-280-288.
“Massive,” LSU Coach Jake Amos said. “We were slipping down the wrong side of the slope there late, and we needed something to happen. He just hit a phenomenal putt, it was fast and I’m glad it hit the hole, but one that he’ll remember for the rest of his life.
“Everything we do is setting us up for winning,” the first-year Tiger head coach said. “We are trying to make winning a habit and are guys are buying into that. But we know we have to get tougher when we get ready for the postseason.”
Bondesson’s birdie putt allowed him to shoot a 4-under par round of 68 and finish 54 holes tied for the lead with Cajun golfer Malan Potgieter. Both players finished 9-under par 207. Bondesson had improving rounds of 70-69-68, while Potgieter fired rounds of 71-65-71.
Bondesson and Potgieter returned to the par 3 ninth hole for an individual playoff with both posting par 3s. The pair then played the par 4 first hole with birdies for both. The duo returned to the ninth hole and both players were in trouble off the tee with Potgieter long in the stands and Bondesson short and in the water. Potgieter won the playoff with a bogey.
However, based on NCAA rules, Bondesson will be credited with a T1 finish in the performance rankings.
LSU opened the day with a three-shot lead and held on to that for much of the opening nine holes, recording a 6-under first nine holes. But the Aggies began to make up ground over the final nine holes, eventually tying the tournament with just a couple of golfers to play.
LSU on the final day also counted a 2-under 70 from Dylan Kayne, an even par 72 from Arni Sveinsson and a 2-over 74 from Noah McWilliams.
Sveinsson, on the Haskins Watch List announced on Monday, finished T6 with a three-day total of 212, 4-under par with rounds of 72-68-72. Luke Haskew, playing as an individual, finished T14 at 1-under par 215 (72-72-71). Kayne’s 70 moved him up 15 spots on the leaderboard to T24 at 2-over 216.
“I also want to add that there was a lot of pressure on Arni this week as a freshman,” said Coach Amos. “Highest ranked player, different type of golf course than he’s used to and he really handled himself incredibly well. He keeps turning out top results, so a great experience for him in a different type of event and to see him come through it.”
Both McWilliams and Lafayette’s Jay Mendell finished T22 at 1-over 215.
Statically, LSU played the par four holes at 1-over par, 11 shots better than any team in the field. The Tigers were second on the par 3 holes at +2. The Tigers led the field with 65 birdies through the three rounds.
Bondesson finished second in the field on par 3 holes at 2-under par, with Haskew finishing second on the par fives at 8-under. Bondesson’s birdie on the final hole gave him a tournament best 18 birdies for the three days with Dylan Kayne and Arni Sveinsson both posting 13 birdies.
The Tigers are right back in action next Monday with the Pauma Valley Invitational in Pauma Valley, California.
Oakbourne Country Club – Lafayette, Louisiana
Final-Round Team Results (Par 288-576-864)
March 10-11, 2025
1 LSU 279-282-284 – 845 -19
2 Texas A&M 284-280-283 – 847 -17
3 Louisiana-Lafayette 289-280-288 – 857 -7
4 Little Rock 291-286-288 – 865 +1
5 Sam Houston 290-289-292 – 871 +7
6 South Alabama 300-281-291 – 872 +8
7 Louisiana Tech 300-287-289 – 876 +12
8 Middle Tennessee 299-296-283 – 878 +14
9 Rice 287-296-297 – 880 +16
10 Oral Roberts 292-294-301 – 887 +23
10 Illinois State 297-295-295 – 887 +23
12 Texas State 289-299-303 – 891 +27
Individual Top 5 (Par 72-144-216)
T1 Malan Potgieter, Louisiana-Lafayette – 71-65-71 – 207 -9 (won on third playoff hole)
T1 Alfons Bondesson, LSU – 70-69-68 – 207 -9
T3 Phichaksn Maichon, Texas A&M 70-69-70 – 209 -7
T4 Wheaton Ennis, Texas A&M – 72-69-70 – 211 -5
T4 Freddie Turnell, Little Rock – 72-71-68 – 211 -5
LSU Scores
T1 Alfons Bondesson – 70-69-68 – 207 -9 (Lost on third playoff hole)
T6 Arni Sveinsson – 72-68-72 – 212 -4
T18 Luke Haskew* – 72-72-71 – 215 -1
T22 Jay Mendell – 68-72-77 – 217 +1
T22 Noah McWilliams – 69-74-74 – 217 +1
T24 Dylan Kayne – 75-73-70 – 218 +2
T40 Nick Arcement* – 73-74-76 – 223 +7
T55 Matty Dodd-Berry* – 76-72-78 – 226 +10
* competing as individual