BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University men's golf team competes in its second tournament of the fall season when it heads to the Louisville Cardinal Challenge, set for Friday through Sunday in Simpsonville, Kentucky.
 
LU opened the season with a 10^th-place finish at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate in Choudrant, Louisiana, earlier this month. LU coach Jessie Mudd expects a better showing from his squad this weekend.
 
"We have a long way to go, but I saw a lot of potential in our first tournament," Mudd said. "We were disrupted by the hurricane, but we are now in our normal practice routine."
 
This weekend's tournament will take place at the University of Louisville Golf Club, which features a 7,192-yard, par-72 layout. In addition to the LU Cardinals and the host Louisville Cardinals the field consists of DePaul, East Tennessee State, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Jacksonville State, Louisiana, Louisiana-Monroe, Miami (Ohio), Southeastern Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin and Winthrop.
 
"I don't worry about the other teams, our competition is the course," Mudd said. "We have to focus on our game and not on what other teams are doing."
 
LU is sending six golfers to Louisville for the tournament. Cody Banach will be in the No. 1 position, followed by Sam Dumez, Clay McCrory, Eason Wang and Garett James. Juho Kurikka will compete as an individual.
 
"I think we gained some valuable experience in our first tournament," Mudd said. "It was definitely a learning experience for our newcomers. It's a different atmosphere. Your daily routine is different. You're playing against grown men on a tough course. There's no doubt it helped us."
 
This weekend's event will see the teams play 18 holes each day. The four best scores will account for the team scoring each day.
 
"I like playing three rounds over three days rather than playing three rounds in a two-day tournament," Mudd said. "Playing 36 holes on that first day can be tiring. Three rounds in three days makes for a longer trip, but I think it makes for better golf."
 
FORECAST: The outlook calls for sunny skies on Friday and Saturday, with partly cloudy skies on Sunday. The high on Friday and Sunday will be 79, with a high of 74 expected on Saturday. Winds will be light each day.
 
UP NEXT: LU is slated to compete at the Bayou City Collegiate, set Oct. 9-10 in Pearland, Texas.