LSU Men’s Golf in Third After Round One of Play in Rio Grande

Tiger Rag News Services

The No. 2 LSU Men’s Golf team closed one round of play with a 14-under-274 performance, putting them in third on Monday at the Puerto Rico Classic. The tournament is held at the par-72, 7,152-yard Grand Reserve Golf Course.

Before the first round of play was started on Monday, the Tigers found out they would be without star Árni Sveinsson due to sickness. This led to freshman Hudson Lawson being inserted into the LSU lineup after originally going to Puerto Rico to play as an individual.

In wake of the news, junior Noah McWilliams stepped up like he has many times already this season. The Benton, La., native opened the spring season with a six-under (66) performance in the first round. He sits tied for second heading into the next round and recorded seven birdies through the first 18 holes.

Two Tigers backed up McWilliams’ first round performance by going three under (69) in T25 on Monday. Senior Jay Mendell’s three-under was an all-around solid performance, recording four birdies and only a single bogey. Freshman Dan Hayes had a stellar front nine to start the day with five birdies, but he cooled off on the back side with two bogeys.

Lawson, as mentioned previously, filled in for Sveinsson on short notice and performed well through one round as he sits at T33. The freshman’s first time in the LSU lineup saw him go two under (70) in the first, tapping in five birdies spread throughout the 18 holes. He tallied the team’s lone double of the day and will look to find ways to clean up heading into day two.

Closing the lineup for the Tigers in the spring opener after a round was Matty Dodd-Berry. Sitting in the fifth spot, Dodd-Berry went one over (73) on the day with five bogeys as he sits at T67. The Englishman’s bright spot of the day came on hole five where he recorded an Eagle.

THE TIGERS
T2. Noah McWilliams, -6 (66)
T25. Dan Hayes, -3 (69)
T25. Jay Mendell, -3 (69)
T33. Hudson Lawson, -2 (70)
T67. Matty Dodd-Berry, +1 (73)

TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. No. 1 Virginia, -22 (266)
2. Ohio State, -21 (267)
3. LSU, -14 (274)
T4. Iowa, -12 (276)
T4. South Carlina, -12 (276)
T4. Georgia, -12 (276)
T4. No. 14 Oklahoma, -12 (276)
T4. No. 18 Tennessee, -12 (276)
T9. Charleston, -8 (280)
T9. Marquette, -8 (280)
T11. Purdue, -5 (283)
T11. North Florida, -5 (283)
T13. No. 29 Louisville, -3 (285)
T13. Wisconsin, -3 (286)
15. Minnesota, -2 (286)