CHOUDRANT, La. – The University of South Alabama men's golf program opens the 2021-22 campaign on Sunday when play begins at Louisiana Tech's Jim Rivers Intercollegiate.

It's the second straight year that the Jaguars will start the season at the tournament, which will take place at the Squire Creek Country Club and includes three rounds in three days.

In the lineup for South will be Jack Hearn, Dawson Atkinson, Jacob LeCroy, Eli Mitchell and Jordan Plunkett, while Mathias Lorentzen will be competing individually.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (host): Jim Rivers Intercollegiate (Louisiana Tech)
Dates: 9/12-14 (Sunday-Tuesday)
Format: 18 holes Sunday, 18 holes Monday, 18 holes Tuesday
Start times: 7:30 a.m. (CDT) tee times Sunday and Monday; 8 a.m. (CDT) tee times Tuesday
Course: Squire Creek Country Club (par 72, 7,105 yds)
Live scoring: http://results.golfstat.com//public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=24121

THE FIELD (20)
Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas, Chattanooga, Francis Marion, High Point, Houston, Lamar, Little Rock, Louisiana, ULM, LSU, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Rice, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Tennessee (individuals only), UTA, Texas-San Antonio, Troy, Western Kentucky

THE JAGUAR LINEUP
-Jack Hearn (Sr., Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary, Ireland; 12 rds, 2 T10s, 73.25 avg, 68 low 18, 210 low 54, 6 rds =/- par at McNeese State in 2020-21)
-Dawson Atkinson (sr., Trussville, Ala.; 15 rds, 74.07 avg, 1 T20, 69 low 18, 218 low 54, 2 rds =/- par in 2020-21)
-Jacob LeCroy (Jr., Anniston, Ala.; 18 rds, 75.78 avg, 2 T20s, 69 low 18, 213 low 54, 5 rds =/- par in 2020-21)
-Eli Mitchell (So., Meridian, Miss.; 20 rds, 75.65 avg, 70 low 18, 221 low 54, 5 rds =/- par in 2020-21)
-Jordan Plunkett (Sr., Sterrett, Ala; 24 rds, 74.21 avg, 2 T20s, 68 low 18, 215 low 54, 8 rds =/- par in 2020-21)
-*Mathias Lorentzen (Sr., Hvidovre, Denmark; 12 rds, 75.75 avg, 1 T20, 68 low 18, 217 low 54, 3 rds =/- par in 2020-21)
*denotes competing as an individual

TEE SHOTS
-The Jaguars shot par or better in all three rounds of the event last fall while posting a 7-under-par 857 group total that turned out to be South's best 54-hole score of the season.
-Yannick Schütz paced the Jags at the tournament a year ago with a 3-under-par 213 figure, with both Kyle Robinson and Plunkett shooting under par over three rounds as well as all three ended up among the top 15 in the individual standings.
-Plunkett and LeCroy were the only individuals in the program other than Schütz to record multiple top-20 finishes during the 2020-21 season.
-This will be Atkinson's first appearance in the Jag lineup since the final event of the fall last year when he competed at the Little Rock Invitational.    
-In his first season with the program, Mitchell played at all but one tournament with his best finish a tie for 21st at the Craft Farms Intercollegiate at the end of March.
-All 12 of Lorentzen's rounds last year came in the spring as he posted a season-best 71 on the opening day of each of the last two tournaments of the regular season.
-Hearn — the only newcomer in the lineup this week — was a second-team all-Southland Conference selection in the spring after shooting par or better in six of 12 rounds at McNeese State.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Ben Hannan
On the excitement of starting the season with this team: "The season has started off well, the guys have been very motivated and have been working hard.  The group is really committed to each other and they're focusing on get-ting better every day.  We preach a lot about the process, so our energy is spent on what we can control every day.  Everyone is excited to get going and compete."
On the importance of a good performance at the opening event of the year: "In our sport, even though the spring is deemed our championship season the fall counts just as much so picking up quality wins and head-to-head decisions — as well as strong finishes — are certainly beneficial.  This is a big field with solid programs, it's going to be compet-itive.  To be able to get out of the gates well sets you up for the rest of the fall, which is important because it is such a short season."
On how playing in the tournament last year affects preparation and expectations for the coming week: "Some of the guys who will travel this week have played at LA Tech previously, which certainly helps; it's a golf course where a better feeling — particularly with the green complexes — is beneficial.  It's a beautiful facility, it's always fun to play there because the golf course is in such nice condition.  When you like being somewhere and there's a good feel-ing, hopefully that will lead to nice results."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Birdie Club — the men's golf specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Birdie Club go directly to support the South Alabama men's golf program. For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/birdieclub.

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