LSU Golf: Mendell fires to 10-under to win Hal Williams Collegiate Individual Title, LSU finishes Second Overall

Freshman LSU golfer Jay Mendell earned his first career individual title at the Hal Williams Collegiate in Mobile at Magnolia Golf Club.

Mendell shot under par in all three rounds to finish with a one stroke lead over fellow LSU golfer Connor Gaunt. He shot 10-under 203.

“It feels great,” Mendell said. “I’ve worked really hard since the fall season ended and it’s great to see it pay off in a tournament. I’m very thankful for my family and my coaches for giving me the tools to be successful and take a step forward with my game.”

The tournament in Mobile was the first one of the spring season. Mendell shot 3-under 68 in the final round Tuesday to secure the title. It was his third time placing in the top ten.

Overall, LSU came in second place with a total score of 22-under 830. The Tigers finished the first round in sixth place but improved in each round to move up the scoreboard. LSU started the final round in third place.

Gaunt finished close behind Mendell. He shot a total of 9-under 204, including an impressive 6-under 65 in the final round. Gaunt started the first round by shooting 1-over 72, but he climbed back up the leaderboard to secure a second-place finish.

LSU shot a 6-under 278 in round two to take a share of the lead with Illinois at 16-under 619. Gaunt shot 4-under 67 while Mendell and Drew Doyle each shot 3-under 68. Lance Yates added a 2-over 73 and LSU as a whole shot 6-under 278 in the second round.

“The way we competed in the second and third round was great,” LSU golf coach Andrew Nelson said. “It is what I expected and what we talked about for the last two weeks. Play with confidence, play hard, and keep the belief high.”

LSU scored its lowest total of the tournament in round three, shooting 12-under 272 to finish in second place overall.

LSU’s next tournament will be the Lamkin San Diego Classic on March 4-5 at the San Diego Country Club.

Team Leaders

1 Illinois -25

2 LSU -22

3 VCU -16

4 Davidson -3

5 Kansas St. -2

Individual Leaders

1 Jay Mendell (LSU) -10

2 Connor Gaunt (LSU) -9

3 Piercen Hunt (Illinois) -8

T4 Hugo Thyr (South Ala.) -7

T4 Esteban Vazquez (Memphis) -7

LSU Scores

1 Jay Mendell -10

2 Connor Gaunt -9

T21 Drew Doyle -1

T31 Lance Yates +1

T36 Alex Price E (ind.) +2

80 Noah McWilliams +16