The No. 7 LSU men’s golf team achieved a remarkable feat with back-to-back victories, securing a dominant 10-shot win at the Pauma Valley Invitational in California. The Tigers, following their success at the Louisiana Classics just a week prior, displayed extraordinary prowess on the greens, marking their fourth tournament win of the season.
Competing against a formidable field, which included teams ranked second to sixth in the NCAA Clippd performance rankings, LSU finished the tournament with an impressive total of 27-under-par 825. Their rounds included a 9-under 275 and a 7-under 277 on March 17, followed by an outstanding 11-under 273 on March 18. This performance outpaced the second-place team, No. 4 Texas, which ended with a score of 17-under-par 835.
Oklahoma State secured third place at 11-under 841, while No. 13 Illinois finished fourth at 10-under 842. In fifth place was No. 30 Tennessee, finishing at 5-under 847.
The success at the Pauma Valley Invitational marks the ninth time in LSU men’s golf history that a team has won four or more tournaments in a single fall/spring season. Remarkably, in the past, only three seasons have recorded more wins: 1959-60, 2014-15, and 2016-17.
Individually, LSU showcased dominant performances, with three of their players finishing within the top three of the tournament. Senior Algot Kleen stood out with a second-place finish, posting a 54-hole total of 8-under-par 205. His final round included an eagle on the opening hole and five birdies, allowing him to complete the day with a strong 5-under-par 66.
Kleen, who was ranked No. 11 in the NCAA performance rankings and has already claimed a win this season, found this result to be his third top-two finish. Freshman Arni Sveinsson and sophomore Jay Mendell tied for third place, each finishing at 7-under-par 206. Mendell notably made an eagle on the par 5, 568-yard second hole during his final round, demonstrating his ability to score effectively.
Sveinsson also had an impressive performance, with a clean scorecard featuring four birdies. Both players are ranked closely behind Kleen, with Sveinsson sitting at No. 12 in the rankings.
Completing the roster of modified scoring, Alfons Bondesson and Noah McWilliams contributed to the team’s efforts as both posted rounds of 1-under-par 70 in the final round. Bondesson showcased his skills by also scoring an eagle on the par 4 sixth hole.
In terms of overall tournament highlights, LSU led the field with the most birdies, tallying a total of 58 throughout the 54-hole competition and also scoring three eagles on the final day. Additionally, the Tigers demonstrated exceptional play on the par 4 holes, finishing at -8 and placing second on par 5 holes at -17.
As the Tigers wrap up their successful stint in California, they will now turn their attention eastward to the Calusa Cup, scheduled for April 6-8 at the prestigious Calusa Pines Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
In another part of the leaderboard, No. 21 Georgia Tech also competed at the Pauma Valley Invitational but struggled to find their footing. The Yellow Jackets ended up tied for ninth place with an overall score of 10-over-par 862, 37 strokes behind LSU. Freshman Albert Hansson and sophomore Carson Kim both shot an impressive 1-under-par 71 for the final round, contributing to the team’s performance.
Hansson, who tied for 13th place individually with a total score of 3-under-par 207, was Georgia Tech’s top finisher. The Jackets had a total of 15 teams competing in the tournament, with a significant representation in the NCAA Top 50 rankings.
The event, having been conducted for only the second time, highlighted the competitive landscape of collegiate golf and underscored the talent across participating teams. Georgia Tech will return to competition on April 14-15 at the Ford Intercollegiate in Richmond Hill, Georgia, as they continue their season.
Overall, the Pauma Valley Invitational showcased not only the strong showing from LSU, bolstering their reputation in collegiate golf, but also served as a stage for rising players from schools like Georgia Tech to hone their skills and compete against top-tier talent.
The achievements and performances exhibited in this tournament will undoubtedly resonate in the frameworks of both these esteemed university athletic programs.
