As his final season in purple and gold winds down, LSU senior golfer Austin Gutgsell has been shelling out the best performances of his collegiate career.
Gutgsell finished first place in the LSU National Invitational, posting a career-low 7-under-par 65 in the final round on April 1 at the University Club.
This victory was a culmination of his efforts throughout the spring to shake off the mental stresses stemming from poor performances early in the 2011-12 season.
Gutgsell was instrumental in the Tigers’ 2010-11 season, participating in 11 tournaments. The fall campaign found Gutgsell left out of LSU’s five-man competition squad in all but one tournament – October’s David Toms Intercollegiate.
He won that tournament in 2010, but this season he didn’t crack the top 20.
Gutgsell said the departure of graduating standouts Andrew Loupe and John Peterson created an increased responsibility he hadn’t experienced before.
“I put too much pressure on myself because I wanted to lead the team as a senior,” Gutgsell said. “The stress affected my ball striking.”
With Peterson and Loupe gone, Gutgsell and the squad’s other senior Sang Yi were the two most experienced golfers on the team.
Yi placed in the top 10 on the individual leaderboard in seven tournaments during this year’s regular season.
He finished behind Gutgsell at the LSU National Invitational, placing ninth overall. He said his fellow senior’s performance is something he is very proud of.
“He’s been my brother for the last three-and-a-half years,” Yi said. “Seeing him perform like that after the struggles he’s had this year is just awesome.”
Gutgsell said his uncertain future was also weighing him. A call from his parents last month gave him a clearer view on what awaited him.
“I was in between what I was going to do for my career, so when I found out I could continue to golf it boosted my confidence,” Gutgsell said.
Golfers who want to turn professional must first gain sponsors to help them go through the various stages of the tour’s Qualifying School, which costs upward of $4,000. If they earn enough money to get into the school’s first round, they must then rise to around the top 20 of the nearly 80-person field.
Since hearing the news, Gutgsell’s play has continued to gain momentum. He tied for fourth place at the Argent Financial Classic, made the five-man cut in the next tournament, Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, before winning the LSU National Invitational.
The tournament was the last regular-season tournament he and Yi will have together as Tigers, and now their sights are set on the looming Southeastern Conference tournament, which starts Friday.
Gutgsell said his confidence is at an all-time high, and he is more than ready for the challenges awaiting him in the SEC tournament beginning Friday.
“I know I’m going into the SEC playing the best golf of my career, and I put in a lot of hard work during spring break,” he said. “It’s been a while since the program’s come away with an SEC championship, so it’d be awesome to come away with the win.”
 
—-
Contact Morgan Wampold at [email protected].