MONROE, La. – The ULM men's golf team begins the 2021-22 season Sunday at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate at Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant, Louisiana.
Squire Creek is a par-72, 7,070-yard course. The tournament will consist of 18 holes on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
It is the second consecutive season that the Warhawks have competed in the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate, hosted by Louisiana Tech. ULM placed fifth last season with a 2-under-par 862 (288-284-290). The Warhawks won the event in 2016.
Sophomore
Cody Winkler returns for his second season. He did not participate in last year's tournament in Choudrant. The McKinney, Texas, native appeared in three tournaments in his freshman season, compiling a 77.33 scoring average. He finished in 61st at the Graeme McDowell Invitational with a score of 20-over-par 236 (70-80-87) but fired his best round of the season with a 2-under-par 70 in the first round on Sept. 29. He placed 29th at 4-over-par 148 (74-74) at the Intercollegiate at the Grove. In the spring, he made a brief appearance at the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Championship with a second-round score of 80.
Sophomore
Mikkel Schmitt also returns for his second season. He played in nine rounds over three tournaments, all in the spring of 2021. The Randers, Denmark, native ended the year with a 75.78 scoring average with one eagle and 22 birdies. He closed the season strong with a ninth-place finish at the Sun Belt Conference Championship at Mystic Creek in El Dorado, Arkansas, carding a first-round 6-under-par 66 en route to an 11-over-par score of 227 (66-85-76) for the tournament. He made his collegiate debut at the Arizona Intercollegiate (Jan. 25-27) and finished at 19-over-par 232 (80-76-74).
Junior
Otto Van Buynder is the top returning player from the 2020-21 season. The Centurion, South Africa, native was second on the team behind
Guillaume Fanonnel with a 73.38 scoring average. He tied
Andoni Etchenique for second on the club with 86 birdies. He tallied six Top-20 and three Top-10 finishes last season, including a season-best seventh-place finish at the Arizona Intercollegiate (Jan. 25-27) with a 2-over-par 215 (71-74-70). He competed in last year's Jim Rivers Intercollegiate, placing 18th with a 2-over-par 218 (73-70-74). Van Buynder led the Warhawks last season in final-round scoring average (72.50), fewest bogeys per round (3.45), birdie conversion (.281), putting par (.55), greens-in-regulation within 15 feet (.341), average putts (29.1), putts on greens-in-regulation (1.804), fewest three-putt holes (.52), non-sand up and downs (.669) and total short game (.605).
Junior
Jacob Agerschou and freshman
Javier Balbastre will each make their ULM debuts on Sunday.
Agerschou, a transfer from New Mexico Junior College, compiled a 71.13 scoring average as a freshman in 2019-20. The Horsens, Denmark, native posted four rounds in the 60s with three Top-5 finishes. He was the individual champion with a 12-under-par 201 (66-66-69) at the TankLogix Invitational at Green Tree Country Club in Midland, Texas. He finished fourth at the Dr. Pepper Classic with a 2-under 142 (70-72) and fifth at the Cactus Thaw with a 3-under 141 (72-69). He twice posted a low round of 65.
Balbastre had a 70.33 stroke average in amateur play, including 10 of 12 rounds under par. The native of Valencia, Spain, has a World Amateur Golf ranking of 564. He was part of the U14 Spanish Team championship.
Junior
Michael Gilbert will compete as an individual. The Dagenham, Great Britain, native begins his fourth season at ULM after playing in nine rounds over three tournaments last year with a scoring average of 77.78, one eagle and 20 birdies. He played in last season's Jim Rivers Intercollegiate, posting a score of 18-over-par 234 (77-75-82). He competed in the Little Rock Invitational, finishing with a 235 (76-78-81), and the Louisiana Classics, posting a score of 231 (75-83-73).
A link to live scoring is available on the men's golf schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
