It was a banner semester for both LSU’s men’s and women’s golf teams, as the two teams combined to win or finish as the runner-up in six of the eight tournaments in which they competed.
 
Both teams finished the semester in the top 10 of the Golfweek/Sagarin — the Tigers finished No. 8 and the Lady Tigers No. 4 — and the Lady Tigers earned some mid-season recognition.
 
Golf Digest’s College Insider Ryan Herrington was particularly fond of the Lady Tigers’ fall season, giving standout senior Megan McChrystal and Lady Tigers coach Karen Bahnsen his votes for player of the year and coach of the year, respectively.
 
McChrystal carried over an outstanding performance in the final round of the NCAA Championships at the Country Club of  Landfall last season when she shot an 8-under par 64. The round set a school, course and NCAA record for a one-round championship score.
 
The record-setting round propelled McChrystal into this season, where she has been one of the best players in women’s college golf.
 
The Stuart, Fla., native fired a flurry of birdies in the final round of the season-opening NCAA Fall Preview tournament at the Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas. McChrystal’s 7-under 65 vaulted her into first place — her fourth individual tournament title.
 
“I wish it was as easy as she makes it look,” Bahnsen said. “She’s a real competitor. I’m just glad to have her see some results from all the hard work because the girl has worked her tail off.”
 
In two other tournaments this fall, McChrystal finished fourth and second in the individual  standings. McChrystal nearly won her fifth career tournament in the Tar Heel Invitational but lost a playoff to Alabama junior Brooke Pancake after she hit a ball into the water hazard on the second playoff hole.
 
In four tournaments this fall, the Tigers enjoyed 10 individual top-10 finishes. LSU got a pleasant surprise from newcomer Ken Looper, who garnered three of the top-10 finishes.
 
Looper — who transferred to LSU after his junior season at the University of New Orleans — provided the scoring punch the Tiger lineup was lacking from its fifth golfer the majority of last season.
 
The addition of Looper to the already solid foursome of seniors John Peterson and Andrew Loupe and juniors Sang Yi and Austin Gutgsell has transformed LSU into a national contender, evidenced by the team’s two tournament victories this fall.
 
“We have a great group of guys that fights hard to the very end,” LSU men’s coach Chuck Winstead said after the fall season finale. “One thing you cannot question is whether someone out there with an LSU bag will give it all he’s got for the success of the team.”
 
The Tigers could vie for Southeastern Conference supremacy when the spring season starts at the Gator Invitational in  Gainesville, Fla. Loupe, who missed four months during the summer because of shoulder surgery, is now healthy and should be a boon to the team’s success.
 
“We’ll need a bit of time off as we head into the winter so we can prepare ourselves for a strong spring,” Winstead said.
 
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Contact Luke Johnson at
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