LSU Gold

Michael Sanders Season 2023-24

Height
6'3
Class
Graduate Student
Hometown
Davidson, N.C.
High School
Cannon School

2023 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2022 First Team All-Louisiana

2022 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll
2020 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll
2018-19 All-Louisiana Freshman of the Year
2018-19 All-Louisiana Second Team
2018-19 SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll

 

GRADUATE  SEASON (2022-23)

Played 12 rounds through 4 events in the 22-23 season… Averaged a 73.67 and shot 5 rounds at par or better… Competed in three individual tournaments that included two top ten finishes… Sanders placed T10 at The Prestige Individual and T7 at All-American Individual after shooting a +4 (220) in both outings… A career stroke average of 72.63 puts Sanders in 11th place of any LSU golfer since 1982… 

SENIOR SEASON (2021-22)
Third on the team in stroke average at 71.48 … Participated in 31 rounds with a win and two other top five finishes … Was a T1 winner in the opening event of the 2021-22 season, the Turning Stone Intercollegiate (9/5-6) with a 9-under 207 (71-64-72) … 64 was his lowest round of the season … Solo fifth with lowest aggregate score of the season, 10-under 206, at the Louisiana Classics (3/14-15) with rounds of 66-72-68 … T5 at The Prestige with a 1-over total of 217 … 19 rounds of par or under on the year … Lowered stroke average from 73.17 in 2021 to 71.48 last year … Career average of 72.63 for 94 rounds played which is in the top 10 for a career since 1982 … 43 career rounds of par or under.

JUNIOR SEASON (2020-21)
Played in six tournaments for LSU while averaging 73.17 strokes per round … made 52 birdies on the season … best finish of the season was a T21 at the LSU Invitational with a 6-over 222 … took 25th at The Collegiate Invitational with a 6-over 219 … lone eagle of the season came in the second round of the Old Waverly Collegiate … low round of the season was a 4-under 68 at the LSU Invitational as he rolled in a career high seven birdies.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2019-20)
Picked up a top-10 finish at the David Toms Intercollegiate with a score of 8-under 208 (71-68-69) to tie for ninth … placed tied for 26th at the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational with a 3-over 219 (74-72-73) … earned tie for 64th at Maui Jim Intercollegiate (9-over 219) … placed tied for 74th at Inverness Intercollegiate (21-over 234) … shot a 7-over 223 at the Southwestern Invitational to place tied for 33rd … earned a tie for 57th at The Prestige with a 6-over 219 … tied for 71st at Cabo Collegiate with a 18-over 231 … 15 of his 21 rounds counted towards LSU’s team score … had six rounds of even par or better on the season … finished season with stroke average of 73.95.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2018-19)
Played eight tournaments during his freshman season … posted a scoring average of 72.63 to rank No. 4 on the team … had back-to-back top-five finishes at the David Toms Intercollegiate and Tavistock Collegiate … shot a 4-under 212 (69-74-67) at the David Toms Intercollegiate for a fourth-place showing … placed tied for fifth at the Tavistock Collegiate with a 6-under 210 (68-69-74) … lowest round of the season was a 5-under 67 that he registered twice (Rd. 2 David Toms Intercollegiate & Rd. 3 Tavistock Collegiate) … rolled in career high of six birdies at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Rd. 2) and David Toms Intercollegiate (Rd. 2) … tied for 18th at the Shoal Creek Invitational … represented LSU at the NCAA Stanford Regional and NCAA Championships … tied for 27th at the NCAA Stanford Regional (3-over 213) … 16 of his 21 rounds played as a scoring member of LSU’s team were counted.

PRIOR TO LSU
One of the top high school golf recruits in the country in the Class of 2018 … Ranked as high as the No. 6-ranked recruit in the Class of 2018 and No. 7-ranked recruit overall in the country in the National Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings posted on National Signing Day in November 2017 … Was also the nation’s No. 10-ranked recruit in his signing class and No. 14-ranked prospect regardless of class in the Rolex Junior Golf Rankings when he signed his National Letter of Intent … Ranked No. 14 among high school seniors and No. 19 overall in the Golfweek junior rankings … A first-team selection to the American Family Insurance All-USA boys’ golf team for the 2016-17 in conjunction with USA Today … Honored as a Rolex Second-Team Junior All-American for his performance with the American Junior Golf Association in 2017 … A two-time AJGA champion with wins at the IZOD AJGA Championship and Junior All-Star at Chantilly National during the 2015 season … Has earned nine top-10 finishes in AJGA-sponsored events during his high school career … Tied for second place at The PING Invitational in October 2017 before signing his National Letter of Intent with the Tigers … Crowned the 2017 champion at the 68th Carolinas Junior Boys’ Championship with a winning score of 9-under par 207 at Cabarrus Country Club in Concord, North Carolina … Fired a 5-under 67 in the final round to take the Carolinas Junior Boys’ Championship by three shots … A standout performer at Cannon School of Concord throughout his prep career … Earned all-state honors while helping lead Cannon School to the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 3A State Championship as a freshman in 2015 … Captured back-to-back NCISAA Class 3A individual titles as a sophomore in 2016 and again as a junior in 2017 … Defended his state crown in a sudden-death playoff to close out the 2017 NCISAA Class 3A State Championship … Honored for the example he sets on and off the course as the 2016 recipient of the Jerry Cole Sportsmanship Award as presented by the AJGA … Has helped raise more than $140,000 for the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and help provide families access to children’s healthcare with his involvement with The Carolina Cup since 2014 … Also fundraises for the AJGA’s ACE Grant Program and The First Tee initiative.

PERSONAL
Full name is James Michael Sanders, Jr. … Born on Feb. 2, 2000 … Parents are James and Susan Sanders … Has one older sister, Tyler Leach … An honor student during his prep career at Cannon School of Concord while maintaining a 3.7 high school grade-point average … Plans to major in business at LSU.

Full Bio