MONROE, La. – The ULM men's golf team tees off the 2020 fall schedule Sunday at Louisiana Tech's Jim Rivers Intercollegiate at Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant.
Squire Creek Country Club is a par-72, 7,070-yard course. The tournament will consist of 18 holes on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
"We are looking forward to competing this weekend," ULM Director of Golf Tim Baldwin said. "We like the golf course and hope to get off to a fast start."
The Warhawks will send out a team featuring sophomore Otto Van Buynder, senior Andoni Etchenique, senior Guillaume Fanonnel, freshman Melan Dhaubhadel, sophomore Keegan McLachlan and sophomore Michael Gilbert.
"The format will be a play six, count four, which is good for us because of our depth," Baldwin said. "The weather forecast is for rain. We hope to get lucky and get in all 54 holes."
Van Buynder returns for his third season at ULM. The Centurion, South Africa, native played in six of seven tournaments for the Warhawks in 2019-20. He was playing his best golf of the season prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tying for eighth place at the Border Olympics (1-under-par 215) and finishing fifth at the Tiger Invitational by Jason Dufner (4-under 212). He tied Fannonel for the team lead with three eagles last season, and third on the Warhawks in scoring average at 73.83. He shot par or better in eight of 18 rounds.
Etchenique returns to ULM for a second chance at a senior season after receiving the COVID-19 season of competition waiver. A native of Saint Pee sur Nivelle, France, Etchenique was named honorable mention All-Louisiana by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association in 2019-20. He ranked second on the Warhawks in birdie conversion (.280) and greens in regulation (.706). His six subpar holes in a single round tied for second on the team. He shot par or better in 10 of 21 rounds. Etchenique placed among the Top 15 in three tournaments, finishing 12th at the David Toms Intercollegiate (5-under 211), 15th at Arizona Intercollegiate (1-over 214) and 14th at Border Olympics (1-over 217).
Fanonnel also returns to ULM for another senior season after receiving the COVID-19 season of competition waiver. The native of Lyon, France, competed in the U.S. Amateur in August at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Oregon. In 2019-20, Fanonnel was named to the Division I PING All-Central Region team as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America. In addition, he was named to the LSWA's All-Louisiana men's golf first team for the second year in a row. He finished the shortened 2020 spring season ranked No. 74 among NCAA Division I players, according to Golfstat, and posted an 8-4 record against opponents rated from No. 51-100.
Fanonnel led the team in scoring average (70.83), subpar holes in a single round (7), fairways hit (.659), birdie conversion (.296) and greens in regulation (.741). His three eagles tied for the team lead with Van Buynder and his 71 birdies ranked second. He shot par or better in 13 of 18 rounds, including five in the 60s. He posted two Top 5 finishes in 2019-20, including second at the Lone Star Invitational (8-under 208) and fifth at the David Toms Intercollegiate (11-under 205). Fanonnel was selected Sun Belt Conference Golfer of the Week for his runner-up performance at the Lone Star Invitational. His 72.50 career scoring average is the lowest in ULM golf history. He has shot par or better in 50 of 94 career rounds.
Dhaubhadel makes his ULM debut at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate. One of the top amateur golfers in the United Kingdom, Dhaubhadel opened his collegiate career last season at Fairleigh Dickinson. The Berkshire, England, native posted the team's second-best scoring average (73.4) over 14 rounds at FDU. He shot four rounds in the 60s, including a season-best 67 in the second round at the Hartford Hawks Invitational. Dhaubhadel finished second at the Hartford Hawks Invitational (9-under 207). He was named the Northeast Conference's Co-Golfer of the Month with a 71.5 stroke average in October. Prior to his collegiate career, he was rated No. 73 in the 2019 European U18 golf rankings.
McLachlan played in three tournaments in the 2019-20 season, with all of them in the fall portion of the season. His best performance of the season was his first, finishing in a tie for 22nd at the Lone Star Invitational (8-over 224). He had his best score at the David Toms Intercollegiate with a 6-over 222. A native of Pretoria, South Africa, McLachlan played in six tournaments as a freshman in 2018-19 and had a career-low round of 69 at the Louisville Cardinal Challenge.
Gilbert competed in three tournaments in 2019-20. His best finish was a tie for 55th place at the Border Olympics (10-over 226). He shot a 1-under 71 in the first round of the Lone Star Invitational for his best round of the season. The native of Dagenham, England, played in seven tournaments as a freshman in 2018-19, shooting four rounds of par or better.
A link to live scoring is available on the men's golf schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
