Sophomore Beck Troutman and junior Chris Wells both finished in the top 10 individually to help lead the LSU men’s golf team to its first victory of the season.
The Tigers won the inaugural Shoal Creek Intercollegiate Tournament by one stroke despite trailing Tennessee by three strokes going into the final round at the Shoal Creek Country Club in Birmingham, Ala.
“This shows what potential this team has to be able to go out and compete against some of the good teams, overcome a three-shot deficit against a team like Tennessee and win the tournament,” LSU coach Chuck Winstead said in a news release. “They played well all day and they deserved to win.”
The Tigers were the only team team to shoot under par with a 1-under par 863. The victory marked Winstead’s first win since taking over the program after former coach Greg Jones resigned from the position in May.
Troutman tied for fourth with All-American Matt Every of Florida in the individual standings after shooting a 5-under par 211. Troutman said the experience he gained as a freshman has made a difference in his play this season.
Along with being pleased with his performance, Troutman said Winstead has brought a new atmosphere to the team.
“There is more structure to the team and more positive energy,” Troutman said of the difference this season. “That has had a huge influence on the team.”
Wells finished three strokes behind Troutman in a tie for eighth with a 3-under par 214, and senior Andrew Lanahan shot 3-over par for a tie for 20th.
“I played all right, but I kind of struggled today and had to grind it out,” Wells said of his final round 1-over par 73. “I’m just so proud of the guys. We kept it together, and we came through when the pressure was really on.”
The Tigers competed against 15 teams including Alabama, Florida, Georgia State, Southern Methodist University and Tennessee, all of which participated in the NCAA Championships last season.
“Anytime that you’re rewarded for playing in the present and playing one shot at a time, as well as competing well against a field like this, it does nothing but build confidence,” Winstead said. “It validates their approach to playing the game and gives them a foundation to be successful.”
Contact Clinton Duckworth at [email protected]