The LSU men’s golf program is expecting a future impact from its trio of freshmen, but Zach Wright has already come out swinging.
“If I had to choose one of our freshmen [to play right now], I’d choose Zach Wright, and we’ve only seen him in one round of golf thus far,” said LSU coach Chuck Winstead prior to the season. “He qualified for the [United States] Amateur squad this year, and he has the most experience.”
Wright signed with LSU as the No. 1-ranked recruit in Arizona and one of the top 10 recruits in the nation for the Class of 2012. Golfweek ranked him as the No. 17 recruit in the top 100 of the 2012 class.
Before the season began, Winstead had to make the decision regarding which golfers to send to the opening Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic in Rocky Face, Ga.
He made sure to include Wright in the final roster.
When Wright’s name was placed in the rotation for the upcoming tournament, he was expected to play beside the likes of junior Andrew Presley and sophomore Curtis Thompson.
Wright acknowledged looking at both Presley and Thompson as mentors, and Presley was excited to see the freshman in action.
“He’s a good freshman,” Presley said prior to the team’s first tournament. “He got himself into the lineup, and we’re really excited about him and to see how he does. He’s a really good player.”
And there Wright stood, a freshman in a sea of veterans from around the nation at the Carpet Capital Classic.
The pressure of being in his first college tournament might have affected Wright’s play, but he tried to keep his performance in perspective.
“I tried to take it as the same tournament I’ve been playing over the summer,” Wright said. “I just wanted to play like myself. I didn’t want to look at it any differently.”
Wright completed his first career tournament tied for 31st place after shooting an even-par 72, a 2-over 74 and a 4-over 76 in three rounds of play.
He finished better than two of his junior teammates, Presley and Landon Lyons, proving he has what it takes to play with some of the more experienced golfers on the squad.
Though he performed admirably in his first collegiate appearance, Wright believes he can be even better in due time.
“I’ll keep improving,” Wright said. “You can’t really get worse here. Eventually, I’ll be the top guy here like Andrew and Curtis.”
