The LSU men’s golf team opened its 2016 campaign on a strong note last weekend.
The Tigers entered the weekend as the seventh-ranked team in the country and finished fourth for the second-consecutive year in the Carpet Capital Collegiate Tournament at Rocky Face, Georgia, which began on Sept. 9.
LSU coach Chuck Winstead wanted the Tigers to focus on their short-iron game, a tactic that paid dividends for LSU’s success, he said.
“The short-iron game was definitely the key to these particular courses,” said sophomore golfer Luis Gagne.
Senior Brandon Pierce led the Tigers in the tournament’s opening day, shooting 4-under par. Senior Rhyne Jones and sophomore Sam Burns trailed Pierce, but not by much. They both shot 1-under 73 and each finished the day tied for 25th place.
Burns picked up ground in day two after hitting seven birdies, one eagle and two bogeys. He would finish the second day in third place. Burns, coupled with even-par performances from Rhyne and sophomore Luis Gagne, steered LSU to a fourth-place ranking heading into the final day.
Burns continued to excel and finished the tournament tied for sixth place. Sunday’s finish was his first collegiate top-ten finish in a 54-hole event.
“It’s really just a product of paying attention to detail,” Burns said. “We worked really hard over the summer, paid attention to the small stuff and performed well for our first tournament.”
Gagne cracked the top 20 at 19th place. Ricard and Pierce tied at No. 27 and Jones finished at No. 45.
“It’s an easier transition for guys like Sam and I, since we got our first taste of the collegiate competition last year as freshmen,” Gagne said.
The Tigers said they are not looking to change anything in terms of preparation before the start of their next tournament.
“We’re going to keep working hard at practice and put ourselves in position to catch our stride in the spring,” Gagne said.
The next stop for the Tigers is Mirabel Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. They will play in the Maui Jim Intercollegiate Tournament Sept. 23-25.