SANDESTIN, Fla. – The lone senior on the University of South Alabama men's golf team will look to post a similar result to his last trip to the Sandestin Golf Resort Raven Course. Jaguar head coach Ben Hannan would like for his program's past success to help improve the chances of a positive outcome on a return visit to the venue.
If both get their way, USA will have the opportunity to contend at the 2016 Sun Belt Conference Championship, which begins on Sunday.
In the Jags' second tournament of the year, Daniel Jansen shot an 8-under-par 205 over two days — including firing a 4-under-par 67 in the final round — to claim medalist honors at the Sun Belt Fall Preview conducted on the Raven Course. South recorded a season-low even-par 284 team total in both the first and final rounds, finishing third out of 10 schools in the final standings with a 3-over-par 855 group score. In addition to Jansen picking up his first NCAA Division I victory since joining the program in September 2014, Drew Cooke was 18th individually with a 217 54-hole score while Jason Mendel tied for 21st place one shot behind the junior.
The finish and team total were both the best the Jaguars have recorded this year.
"I think any time you can go back to a golf course where you have experienced success — and hit good shots and made putts — that's always a positive thing," said Jaguar head coach Ben Hannan. "Certainly Daniel played great there in the fall, and the team played good as well, so we are excited to get back. The Raven is a good fit for us."
The course might be the same both as the SBC Fall Preview and last year's league tournament, but the format for the event has changed. At the conclusion of 54 holes — play will feature three straight days with one round — the top four teams will advance to match play; the semifinals will be contested Wednesday morning, with the two winners advancing to the championship match that afternoon. At stake will be the conference's automatic bid to an NCAA Regional next month.
"Through the qualifying process and selection of the team lineup, in the back of my mind I was thinking about the match-play component," Hannan observed. "But you can't put the cart before the horse, you have to get to match play first, so that took precedent. I think the five who are travelling give us the best opportunity in both."
South will be seeking its 11th Sun Belt title, and first since 2010. The Jags have placed in the top three at the tournament two of the last three seasons, while individually at least one member of the program has been among the top 10 24 of the last 25 years.
Georgia Southern is the defending champion, earning the victory last spring by a 16-stroke margin over Texas-Arlington after recording a team 3-under-par 849 score. Mendel and Jansen are the lone Jaguars who will be participating in the event for the second season in a row; the former tied for 37th place in the individual standings in 2015 while the latter ended up in a tie for 42nd.
The field this year will also include Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia State, Little Rock, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Texas State and Troy.
Joining the trio of Jansen, Mendel and Cooke in the Jaguar lineup will be Peter Staalbo and Ally Purdy.
Jansen and Stallbo are tied for the team lead with two top-10 performances this season; the latter has also posted a program high after finishing in the top 20 on four occasions, one more than Cooke. Jansen's 10 rounds at or below par are best on the squad, with Staalbo accomplishing the feat seven times, Mendel posting a score of par or better in six rounds and Cooke five.
Staalbo paces the Jags with a 72.40 stroke average, with Jansen recording a 74.22 figure and Mendel averaging 74.63 shots per round. Cooke will enter play with a scoring average of 75.50 while Purdy is averaging a 77.17 score with both having competed in 18 rounds this season.
The Jaguars wrapped up play at the Hawkeye-Great River Entertainment Invitational less than a week ago, opening with a team 289 total before winding up in 12th place in the final standings. Staalbo led the squad with a 1-over-par 217 that included two rounds below par, Jansen had a 221 54-hole score to finish among the top 30 and Mendel broke par on the opening day of the tournament as well.
"We got back from Iowa, had a one-day break and have been at it ever since. The energy has been high, practices have been organized and focused," stated Hannan. "The guys are prepared and playing well, they are looking forward to get going. The conference tournament is a chance to position yourself in the league and an opportunity to create history, and there is a lot of excitement with that."
Action will get underway at the Raven Golf Course — which will play at 6,802 yards for the first round — Sunday at 7:30 a.m. (CDT), although the Jaguars won't tee off until 8:10 a.m. The second and third rounds the next two days will also feature split tees with a 7:30 a.m. start, with live updates available at www.golfstat.com.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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