Luis Gagne didn’t know what to expect when he and the LSU men’s golf team teed off in the Maui Jim Intercollegiate Tournament on Sept. 23.
LSU’s golfers were without the luxury of course familiarity. No one on the active roster had ever played in the Scottsdale, Arizona-based competition.
“I wanted to challenge the team by putting them in an unfamiliar setting,” said LSU coach Chuck Winstead. “I wanted to see how they would respond.”
The sophomore All-American, Gagne, finished as the first-place golfer, earning his first collegiate tournament title.
“I knew going in that if I limited mistakes and kept my composure I would be OK,” Gagne said. “I was fortunate enough to end the tournament in the first spot.”
His stellar 17-under par score — the lowest score by a Tiger since at least 1985 — helped LSU capture its first team tournament title in the 2016 season.
As a team, the Tigers posted a 41-under par, the lowest score for a LSU team since at least 1985.
“Our game plan for the tournament was to cut down on unforced errors and make the correct plays,” Winstead said. “I thought we did a good job of that, and it resulted in us hitting fewer bogeys.”
According to Gagne, the weather and the layout of the course also played a role in his record-setting finish.
“The environment was really relaxed, and it felt like we were on vacation,” he said. “The mountains in the background along with the nice weather really helped me focus on my game.”
Gagne hit one eagle and 17 birdies and carded only two bogeys throughout the entirety of the tournament.
He said he believes his biggest takeaway from the tournament was his “you can’t make them all” mentality.
“When I made mistakes in the tournament, I was able to have a short memory and move on,” he said. “I’m going to make mistakes in the future, but it’s refreshing to know you don’t have to be perfect to have success.”
Winstead said he hopes Gagne and the team enjoy their victory but stay committed to getting better.
“We don’t want to just maintain, we want to get better,” Winstead said. “That’s the only way we’ll be able to be at our best in the spring.”