2022 LSU Gumbo - Book - Page 34
All photos provided by LSU Athletics
After a drought of 709 days, it is raining on the men’s
golf team. But, they are back in the winner’s circle after
dominating the field at the Jim Rivers Collegiate, hosted by
neighboring Louisiana Tech. Last event, the team brought
home silver, this week gold.
Last year the men’s golf team struggled with configuring
a playable roster of five consistent players and only stood
on the podium once (Tiger Invitation, Mar. 17 T3). This
year the team seems to have found a rhythm. On Tuesday,
the team posted the seventh-lowest tournament score in
program history, 23-under-par. What (or who) is responsible
for the newfound success?
Cohen Trolio has arrived.
This should not come as a surprise. World Amateur
Golf Rankings list Trolio as no. 176. He is the answer to
Coach Chuck Winstead’s lack of depth question from last
season. He has cruised into a starting position on the team
and has proven his worth for the second consecutive week.
This past summer, Trolio finished Runner Up at the U.S.
Junior Am. in North Carolina. Then, he hoisted the most
coveted trophy in Mississippi after his 19-under-par at the
Mississippi State Am, which earned him an exemption
into the PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Invitational in Sept.
Yes, the true freshman will compete for a $7 million purse
against professional golfers whose ages range from early 20s
to mid-50s.
In his second-ever collegiate tournament, he has broken
the LSU record for most birdies in one tournament,
16. Additionally, he set his new best collegiate round at
5-under-par twice (rounds 1 and 2). He is the truth.
Junior Michael Sanders called heat-check.
Last weekend at the Turning Point Intercollegiate, the
junior shot the lowest score of his collegiate career and the
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sixth-lowest round in LSU history. He shared the individual
medalist honors with Jack Parker of Missouri with a score
of 9-under, 207 for the tournament. This week he shot a
5-under-par, 211, and finished tied for seventh. The native
of North Carolina found his pathway to success this week
on the Par-4’s, on which he averaged 3.93 strokes, scoring at
2-under.
Sanders was not a frequent flyer on the travel squad last
year, but it would be fair to say he is in the driver’s seat two
weeks in.
Every score is worth counting.
Forewarning, the event was hosted by Louisiana Tech at
Squire Creek in Choudrant, La., which is roughly 170 miles
away from campus and several squad members have course
knowledge there. Albeit the Tigers stepped up this week, all
sub-par posting scores, including Drew Doyle, who played
individually and scored, did not contribute. Perhaps the
winning formula was Tour professional and LSU alum Sam
Burns lending inspiration as he spoke to the team before
round 1.
Coming off the fresh win, Coach Winstead still had the
loss last week looming in the back of his thoughts.
“I’m proud of how our team responded today,” said
Winstead. “We were in position to win last week and backed
up. It was good to see our guys not only play well but pull
away down the stretch. We’ve got a talented group. We
can use this experience and continue to improve as we go
forward.”
Examining the teams’ stats from the Jim Rivers
Intercollegiate, the Purple and Gold owned the tournament
in many aspects. The squad averaged the lowest score on
par-4s and 5s, recorded the most birdies of the field, 67, and
each player placed in the top 21.