The world of LSU golf certainly doesn’t garner the attention of an overtime field-storming win against Ole Miss, but the Tigers scratch golfers are quietly grinding away and preparing for the second half of their season.
The Tigers’ first tournament this spring begins with the women headed to Puerto Rico on Feb. 2 to compete in the Puerto Rico Classic. The men quickly follow suit, teeing off on Feb. 10 in Puerto Rico.
The women’s team added one transfer player, Aine Donegan, who transferred from Indiana. The women also signed three freshmen: Samantha Olson from Phoenix, Arizona, Rocío Tejedo from Castellón de Plana, Spain and Josefin Widal from Halmstad, Sweden.
The men, however, boast three transfers and three freshmen. Alfons Bondesson from Vallda, Sweden, transferred to the Tigers from Mizzou; Matthew Dodd-Berry from Wirral, England, came from East Tennessee State; and Algot Kleen from Fiskebackskil, Sweden, also transferred from East Tennessee State.
Louisiana native Connor Cassano from Shreveport, Dylan Kayne hails from Paarl, South Africa, and Árni Sveinsson from Garðabær, Iceland, all signed with the Tigers after receiving their high school diplomas.
The women did not have the most fabulous fall, ending up +41 overall as a team and only placing as high as second twice.
Jordan Fischer finished five under at the Green Wave Invitational at the TPC Louisiana course, earning her first place.
The men, however, are -68 on the year and want to continue a strong start to their season.
In November, Junior Matthew Dodd-Berry took home two gold medals at the Spirit Invitational hosted at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas. Dodd-Berry finished with 17 of 54 holes under par.
Senior Algot Kleen and Freshman Árni Sveinsson have been named to the Final Fall Watchlist for the Fred Haskins Award, awarded to the most outstanding men’s collegiate golfer each spring.
If either are to win it, they would be the first players in LSU history to take home the award, and both are poised to do it, being two of the most disciplined and consistent players in the country.
The “Heisman of Golf” as it has been nicknamed, has been won by some of the greatest players to ever touch a club. Past winners include Phil Mickelson, who won three years in a row, Tiger Woods, Ben Crenshaw and Justin Thomas.
For the women, freshman Rocio Tejedo remains on the watch list for the ANNIKA award, which is given to the top female golfer each spring. Tejedo ranks No. 39 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings and No. 17 in the NCAA Performance Rankings.
If Tejedo wins, she will be the second Tiger to win the award and the second in a row, following Ingrid Lindblad in 2024.
Both Tiger Golf teams have a lot to play for this year, and they have made moves in the portal and on the tee box to help guide them to success.
If Puerto Rico is too far to watch the Tigers play, the women’s next match on U.S. Soil will be in sunny Melbourne, Florida, on Feb. 17 in the Moon Golf Invitational.
The men play much closer home on Mar. 10 at the Louisiana Classics in Lafayette.
