The opening match of Lion’s golf resulted in an unexpected ranking, hope for future tournaments and a thirst for redemption.

The golf team traveled to Hattiesburg, Mississippi on Monday, Sept. 12 to Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Seniors James Anstiss, Gustavo Leon and Paul Obermann, junior Wyatt Ott and sophomore William Meyers, who participated in tournaments last season returned.

Sophomores Joris Etlin and Bailey Smith played their first tournaments of their collegiate season. Freshman Grant Glorioso recently joined the team.

“It was their first college golf tournament and they did well,” said Head Coach Jake Narro. “They got to get those nerves out of the way.”

Following two rounds on Monday the team was ranked overall 11 out of 15. The Lions begin with a 2-over-par 286, putting them in seventh place after the first round. They fell to 12-over 296 and finished with 14-over 582.

Obermann believes that changes in preparation and strategy will benefit the team in upcoming tournaments.

“We really have to figure out what went wrong in the tournament and adjust the practice schedule to whatever you think you were lacking in,” said Obermann.

On Tuesday, the Lions tied with the University of Texas at San Antonio for 10th with 13-over 865 after a 1-under 283 final round. Overall, the team rose to a ranking of 10th out of 15, still tying for an overall 10th place.

According to Narro, consistency will be the key focus to achieve success in future tournaments. He remains optimistic about the remainder of the season.

“We had some high expectations,” said Narro. “We didn’t quite live up to what we wanted to, but it was the first event of the year. We did ok. I’ll give us like a B-minus. I expect us to start from here and gradually improve, kind of a slow, steady process to finish this fall semester being better than we are right now.”

Despite a one hour and 10-minute weather delay in the afternoon, Obermann led the Lions on Monday with 1-over 143.  In the 1-over 72 first round, he got two birdies and three bogeys. In the even-par 71 second round, he came back with three birdies and three bogeys.

By the end of Monday, Anstiss and Myers were in a 14-way tie for 38th at 5-over 147.

Anstiss ended the first round with an even-par 71 before shooting 5-over 76 in the second round.

In the first round, Myers shot a 2-over 73 and had a 3-over 74 in the second round.

Smith’s first round consisted of birdies on the 8th, 13th and 18th, as well as two bogeys. He shot an 8-over 79 second round and was in a seven-way tie for 58th at 7-over 149.

Etlin ended the day with 7-over 149 after rounds of 3-over 74 and 4-over 75.

Obermann came in at 2-under 211, the best finish of his four-year career on Tuesday. He finished with a 3-under-par 68 tying for sixth. He teed off the 10th hole in the beginning, birdied the 10th, 11th, 12th, 17th and 18th. In addition, he recorded a bogey on the 16th, finishing his first nine holes with a 4-under 32.

The senior business administration major finished with bogeys on the seventh and ninth after scoring a birdie at number one and five and bogeying the second. Obermann got to 5-under for the day with a birdie at No. 1 before bogeying the second.

Myers shot a 3-under 33 on the first nine holes with birdies 13, 15 and 16, after bogeying the second and sixth and adding a birdie on number five. These rounds set Myers in a seven-way tie for 28th at 3-over 216.

“That was his best college round to this point,” said Narro. “I want him to continue to perform like that.”
Anstiss completed the tournament in a six-way tie for 53rd after shooting a 2-over 73 and a 7-over 220.

Smith tied for 64th at 9-over 222, shooting a 2-over 73.
The Lions will next take on the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate tournament on Sept. 19-20 in Choudrant, Louisiana.

Anstiss admitted that the team will have to work hard over the next couple of days to prepare for redemption in next week’s match.

“We are all building up for a great year ahead,” said Anstiss. “The lads are all excited to see where this team can go. We have an extremely talented bunch of guys who are all capable of winning each event we play. We just need to stay focused and determined in our practice and play and the results will come sooner rather than later.”