The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Louisiana Classic
Another Test Awaits No. 17 Men’s Golf at Louisiana Classic
3/13/2022 | Men's Golf
Rebels Prepare for Two-Day Tournament in Lafayette with ESPN+ Coverage Set for Tuesday
LAFAYETTE, La. – The Ole Miss men's golf team is set to travel to Lafayette, Louisiana for the 37th Annual Louisiana Classic, which is set to run Monday through Tuesday March 14-15 at Oakbourne Country Club.
Tournament Schedule
Monday, March 14 – 36 holes (Shotgun start scheduled for 8 a.m. CT)
Tuesday, March 15 – 18 holes (Fixed start from Holes 1-10 scheduled for 7:30 a.m. CT)
TV Coverage
Tuesday's final round of action from Oakbourne Country Club will be available to stream on ESPN+ beginning at 9:15 a.m. CT.
The Lineup
Sarut Vongchaisit (Sr.)
-- 70.67 stroke average on the 2021-22 season so far
-- Holds No. 99 ranking in the nation individually according to Golfstat
-- Logged a new career-low 54-hole score of 206 (-7) at the Cabo Collegiate
-- Earned his first top 20 finish of 2021-22 in Cabo, finishing tied for 12th
-- Finished with a perfect 4-0 record individually at the SEC Match Play Championship
-- Recorded seven birdies in the team's season-opening tournament at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational
-- Tallied a season-low round of 69 (-3) on his final day at the Puerto Rico Classic
Kye Meeks (R-Fr.)
-- Posting 72.33 stroke average on the 2021-22 season
-- Named SEC Men's Freshman Golfer of the Week (Week of March 3, 2022)
-- Made collegiate debut for the Rebels at the Blessings Collegiate, where he also recorded his first collegiate birdie on Hole 15
-- Finished the SEC Match Play Championship with a 3-1 record individually, including a victory over then-No. 11 ranked Tyler Johnson of Tennessee
-- Earned new 18-hole (68) and 54-hole (210) career-lows at the Cabo Collegiate
-- Also saw a new career-best finish in Cabo, with the freshman claiming a tie for 31st
-- Two-time individual state champion in high school
Evan Brown (Gr.)
-- Currently holds a 72.00 stroke average on the 2021-22 season
-- 2020-21 PING All-American Honorable Mention
-- Earned his best individual finish for the Rebels at the White Sands Bahamas, tying for 11th
-- Logged season-low round of 68 (-4) on day two of the White Sands Invitational
-- Matched his season-best 18-hole (68) and 54-hole (213) at the Cabo Collegiate
-- Played in 28 tournaments and posted a school-record 71.85 stroke average over his career at Loyola (Md.)
-- Finished 2020-21 season at Loyola with a team-best 70.90 stroke average, another school record
Brett Schell (So.)
-- Holds second-highest stroke average of the year for the Rebels (70.83)
-- Finished with a career-best finish at the Puerto Rico Classic, tying for fourth overall
-- Also logged career-low 18-hole (65) and 54-hole (201) scores in his performance at Puerto Rico
-- Earned first collegiate top 20 finish at Blessings Collegiate Invitational (T-12th)
-- Capped off the fall season with his first ever top 10 finish at the White Sands Bahamas (T-7th)
-- Ended his Cabo Collegiate by firing a round of 69 (-2), sinking six birdies in the process
Jack Gnam (Sr.)
-- 72.67 stroke average on the 2021-22 season
-- Fired back-to-back rounds of 71 (-1) to open play at the Puerto Rico Classic
-- Competed at the 2021 Willow Cup Amateur, where he finished 2nd overall following a two-day score of 136 (-8)
-- Shot a team-low round of 67 (-5) in the final round of the White Sands Bahamas
-- Had his best finish of 2020-21 campaign at the Vanderbilt Legends Collegiate, where he finished tied for 11th with a career-low 54-hole total (65-70-70–205)
-- Appearing in his 27th tournament as a Rebel
INDIVIDUAL
Ludvig Eriksson (R-Fr.)
-- Posting stroke average of 74.00 on the year
-- Made his collegiate debut at the Puerto Rico Classic, competing as an individual
-- Saw a 72 (E) in his first ever round of collegiate golf in Puerto Rico
-- Ranked top 10 of his age group in Sweden for three years, including a No. 1 ranking in 2017
-- Represented his country of Sweden on the U18 national team for three years
-- Named the 2020 male athlete of the year at the Celsius National School of Golf (Celsiusskolan)
-- Won the 2019 Cobra-Puma Junior Masters Invitational
The Field
Houston
Illinois State
Kansas State
Lipscomb
No. 41 Little Rock
Louisiana
No. 25 LSU
Louisiana Tech
Michigan
Mississippi State
North Texas
No. 17 Ole Miss
Rice
Sam Houston State
No. 21 Texas A&M
UTSA
The Course
Oakbourne Country Club was established in 1955 and features an 18-hole, par 72 championship golf course that will play at 6,898 yards. Characterized by its many mature oak trees and beautiful water hazards, the course is rated annually as one of the best in the state of Louisiana, and was home to two former PGA Champions, Lionel and Jay Hebert. The course also played host to the Cajun Classic, a PGA TOUR event held 1958-1968.
Thoughts from Coach Malloy
"We are looking forward to competing on a classic, old school type of golf course this week. It is a great opportunity to play a little different style golf course than we are used to playing. Monday is our first 36-hole day of the season, so we need to be ready for a long day out there. This course can jump up and get you if you get out of position, so we need to be aware at all times."
Rebels in the Rankings
As a team, the Rebels will enter the Louisiana Classic ranked as the No. 17 in the nation according to Golfstat, while also holding the No. 19 spot in the Golfweek/Sagarin NCAA Team Rankings. Individually, Jackson Suber leads the way for Ole Miss as the senior currently holds the No. 31 and No. 39 slots in the Golfweek/Sagarin and Golfstat Individual Rankings. Also cracking the top 100 for the first time of the season is fellow senior Sarut Vongchaisit, as Vongchaisit's strong performance in Cabo helped to push him into the No. 99 spot in the Golfweek NCAA Player Rankings.
Suber to Make PGA TOUR Debut in Florida
Not in attendance for the team's trip to Louisiana this week is senior Jackson Suber, as the Tampa, Florida, native is set to make his PGA TOUR debut this week after receiving a sponsor's exemption to take part in the 2022 Valspar Championship. The tournament is set to run March 17-20 in Palm Springs, Florida, and will make Suber just the third Ole Miss Rebel to actively play on a professional tour roster, with Rebel alumni Braden Thornberry and Jonathan Randolph both currently playing on the Korn Ferry Tour, having each made their PGA TOUR debuts in the 2010s.
Vongchaisit Leads the Way in Cabo
Sarut Vongchaisit saw a strong performance at the Cabo Collegiate earn the senior his first top 20 finish of the 2021-22 season, as Vongchaisit's career-low 54-hole score of 206 (-7) on saw the Bangkok, Thailand, native earn a share of 12th place overall. This marked the second-consecutive tournament in which Vongchaisit had set a career-best 54-hole total, with the senior having set his now previous career-low of 208 at the Puerto Rico Classic.
Kye Meeks Named SEC Freshman Golfer of the Week
After logging a career-week at the Cabo Collegiate for the Rebels, redshirt-freshman saw himself being named the SEC Men's Freshman Golfer of the Week on March 3. The honor came after Meeks earned a career-high finish, tying for 31st overall, while also setting career-high 18-hole (68) and 54-hole (210) totals over the tournament. Meeks' finish ranked as the seventh best amongst freshmen in attendance in Cabo San Lucas, and saw Meeks finish above six golfers ranked in Golfstat's Top 100 at the time, four of which were ranked in Golfstat's Top 25.
Rebels Sign Grad Transfer Hugo Townsend
Ole Miss men's golf has officially added graduate transfer Hugo Townsend of Boise State to the team's 2022-23 team roster, head coach Chris Malloy announced Tuesday. Townsend, a four-year letterwinner with the Broncos since 2018, saw a strong junior season in which the Boden, Sweden, native took home honors that included being named a PING Third Team All-American, as well as the 2021 Mountain West Conference Golfer of the Year. This season, Townsend finds himself currently ranked No. 30 in the nation in the PGA TOUR University Velocity Global Rankings, while also holding the No. 79 spot in the nation according to Golfstat's NCAA Player Rankings.
Next on Tee
Following the team's trip to Louisiana, the Rebels will head to South Carolina to take part in the Hootie at Bulls Bay in Charleston. The tournament, which is set to run March 27-29 at Bulls Bay Golf Club, saw the Rebels claim both the team and individual titles in 2018 behind a team score of 841 (-23) and Braden Thornberry's three-round total of 203 (-13).
Follow the Rebels
For updates throughout the tournament, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissMGolf. Additional updates and information on the team can be found on Instagram at OleMissMGolf, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Golf and on OleMissSports.com.
Players Mentioned
