BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University men's golf team opens its season at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate for the second straight year when it competes in the two-day event that gets underway Monday in Choudrant, Louisiana.
 
The 14-team field will have a heavy Southland Conference presence, with nine SLC schools competing. In addition to LU, Southland schools aiming for the tournament title are Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, Nicholls, New Orleans, Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen F. Austin. Rounding out the field are Missouri State, South Florida, Southern Miss, UTSA and the host school, Louisiana Tech.
 
The tournament format calls for 36 holes on Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday, with action starting at 8 a.m. each day on the 7,070-yard, par-72 layout of the Squire Creek Country Club.
 
Last season, the Cardinals finished third at the tournament, while LU's Zander Gous earned medalist honors.
 
"We are starting our season on a great golf course against some good teams," LU coach Jessie Mudd said. "I know we played well at this event last year, so we are looking to have a good finish again."
 
Like the other fall teams at LU, the golf team has had to juggle its schedule because of Hurricane Harvey. The Cardinals were unable to practice at the Beaumont Country Club because the course was too wet.
 
"The start of the season has been a little delayed, but we have done the best we can in order to get some rounds in and practices going," Mudd said. "All of the guys are looking forward to finally competing again and getting the season started."
 
Sophomore Cody Banach and junior Eason Wang, who each averaged 75.29 strokes per round for the Cardinals last season, will tee off from the top two spots in the LU lineup. Newcomer Nikolai Schaffrath will be in the No. 3 spot for the LU, followed by junior Sam Dumez, who averaged 76.25 strokes per round last season. Freshman Juho Kurikka will round out the LU lineup, with sophomore Clay McCrory, who posted a per-round average of 76.00 strokes, competing as an individual.
 
FORECAST: Monday's forecast calls for thunderstorms in the afternoon. The chance of rain is 40 percent. Tuesday should be partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain. The high both days will be 91.
 
UP NEXT: LU will compete at The Cardinal Classic, hosted by the University of Louisville, from Sept. 29-Oct. 1.