The LSU men’s golf team is off to a sluggish start to the 2015 season, but with the help of the junior golfers Brandon Pierce and Eric Ricard, the squad hopes to turn the season around.
Pierce returned to the lineup at the David Toms Intercollegiate after he was sidelined the first two months of the season with a neck injury, which he suffered days after LSU won the 2015 national championship in June.
The third team All-American’s return will change the Tigers’ lineup moving forward for the better as he was the highest-ranked returning golfer from a season ago, said LSU coach Chuck Winstead.
Pierce was rusty in his first competitive round back as he shot an 11-over par 83, including 8 bogeys, one double bogey and one triple bogey. But he returned to form in the remaining rounds, shooting a 3-over 74 and a 1-under 71 in the second and third rounds, respectively.
The Shreveport, Louisiana, native earned a 28th-place finish in the intercollegiate meet. Winstead said given the circumstances, the result was a great start for Pierce’s 2015-2016 campaign.
“I thought he did fantastic,” Winstead said of Pierce. “For a guy who hadn’t played a competitive round of golf since June 3 to start the way he did is not uncommon. But the way he finished shows the type of player that he is.”
Pierce will be added to LSU’s lineup, solidifying one more spot in starting five. In addition to Pierce, senior Zach Wright, junior Eric Ricard and freshman Sam Burns are Winstead’s top options with the final spot still up for debate.
Ricard is one of three LSU golfers to start in every competition this season and is an integral part of the Tigers’ starting lineup.
His best start came at the David Toms Intercollegiate, when he won the tournament in dominant fashion, blowing by the field with a seven-stroke advantage.
Ricard’s performance helped lead the Tigers to their first team tournament win of the year.
His performance at the intercollegiate solidified his spot in the starting lineup for the immediate future.
Winstead said he was impressed by Ricard’s performance in his win and ability to overcome a golf course, which can prove daunting for some.
“Terrific golf, really tremendous,” Winstead said of Ricard’s play. “The University Club [golf course] is challenging, and for him to perform the way he did the last two rounds in particular and overall in the event shows his ability.”