BEAUMONT, Texas – After starting the season with trips to Choudrant, Louisiana, and Louisville, Kentucky, the Lamar University men's golf team will compete a bit closer to home this week when it tees off at the Bayou City Collegiate that gets underway Monday at the Golfcrest Country Club in Pearland, Texas.
 
The 15 teams in the tournament are slated to play two rounds on Monday and one round on Tuesday on the 7,254-yard, par-72 layout. Last season, the Cardinals finished seventh in the team standings, while LU's Mans Berglund captured medalist honors with a 9-under-par 207 for 54 holes.
 
The Cardinals are one of four Southland Conference teams in the field, joining Abilene Christian, Houston Baptist and Sam Houston State.
 
The Cardinals have finished 10^th in each of their first two tournaments this fall, something LU coach Jessie Mudd would like to improve upon this week.
 
"In the first two events, putting and some other mistakes cost us," Mudd said. "We will focus on the greens more and tighten up our attention to detail while playing the tournament."
 
The course served as the site for the USGA's U.S. Amateur Qualifier this past summer.
 
"The field is good and the course is great," Mudd said. "The greens are usually firm and very fast."
 
LU's lineup for this week sees Cody Banach teeing off from the No. 1 spot. Banach finish tied for 64^th at last weekend's Louisville Cardinal Challenge. The rest of the lineup consists of Eason Wang, Clay McCrory, Sam Dumez and Juho Kurikka. Wang was LU's top finisher last week, ending the tournament tied for 18^th place.
 
Joining the four Southland Conference schools in the field are Rice, Houston, Arkansas State, Lipscomb, Little Rock, Nebraska, SMU, Southern Miss, UT Arlington, UTSA and Texas State. Last year's champion, Kansas, is not back to defend its title.