The LSU men’s golf team struggled to a fourth-place finish Sunday in the Schenkel Invitational at Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro, Ga., following a promising start to the tournament.
The No. 12 Tigers opened the event with a 1-under-par 287 on Friday before posting an impressive 11-under 277 total Saturday.
LSU entered Sunday’s final round just 10 shots off the lead and in sole possession of third place, but back-nine errors and inconsistent play led to a 10-over 298, dropping the Tigers to their 2-under team 54-hole total and a fourth-place finish.
Southeastern Conference rivals No. 9 Auburn and No. 5 Florida ultimately sparred down the back nine for the team title, and a playoff was needed to crown Auburn as the event champion. The Tigers led No. 17 Virginia most of the tournament in the race for third, but LSU’s late miscues vaulted the Cavaliers into the third slot.
In Saturday’s second round, every LSU golfer carded an under-par round, including Sang Yi’s 4-under 68 and Andrew Loupe’s 3-under 69.
Sunday was a different story, however, as no Tiger managed so much as an even-par round. All five LSU players carded at least one double bogey or worse in the final round.
Overall, LSU placed four golfers in the top 20 of the final individual standings.
Senior All-American John Peterson was again the steadying force for LSU, as a final round 73 for Peterson was good enough for a top-10 finish and a 54-hole total of 3-under 213.
Yi played a volatile final round that included an eagle and two double bogeys on his way to a 2-over 74 and a three-round score of 1-under 215 that put him in 11th place.
Junior Austin Gutgsell began the final round in contention at 5-under for the tournament, but a back-nine meltdown that included three bogeys, a double bogey and a quadruple bogey on the 18th hole resulted in a final-round 6-over 78 and a 15th-place finish.
Loupe rebounded from an opening-round 76 with a 3-under 69 on Saturday and a final-round 73 to place in a tie for 20th.
Freshman Andrew Presley sandwiched a 2-under 70 in the second round between high scores of 76 in the first round and an 80 in the final round to finish in a tie for 58th.
LSU had to compete without senior Ken Looper, who is ranked No. 64 in the Golfweek rankings and has been one of the Tigers’ most consistent players this season. He is dealing with a back injury.