Potgieter, Ortego Pace Louisiana In Opening Day of SBC Championships

MADISON, Miss. – Freshman Malan Potgieter posted his third round of the 2022-23 season in the 60's with a 3-under-par 69 while Eli Ortego carded a 1-under-71 to help the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Golf team finish second overall after the opening day of the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Championships on Monday at Annandale Golf Club.

Louisiana, which collected 10 birdies and an eagle on the front nine, finished the opening of the 54-hole tournament at even-par 288 and four strokes behind first-day leader Troy (284). Southern Miss was one shot behind the Ragin' Cajuns at 289 with Texas State (291) and South Alabama (291) rounding out the top five.

The second round will continue on Tuesday beginning at 8:30 a.m. Louisiana will be paired with Troy and USM in the second round and will tee off from the No. 1 tee. All three rounds of the event are streamed live on ESPN+ with live results available at GolfStat.com and RaginCajuns.com.

Potgieter, who started at the No. 10 tee, earned his first birdie of the day as he made the turn at 18 to finish with an even-par 36 on the back nine. Potgieter then recorded birdies at both No. 1 and No. 3 to move to 2-under on the day before recording his final birdie at No. 7 to finish at 3-under-33 on the front.

The freshman finished in third place after the first 18 holes and two strokes off the individual lead of Troy's Brantley Scott, who fired a 5-under-67 which was highlighted by eagles at both No. 5 and 7.

Ortego, the 2022 SBC Freshman of the Year, birdied two of his first five holes on the back nine before making the turn at 1-under-35. The Lafayette native fell to even-par after a bogey at No. 2 before coming back with a birdie to finish in a sixth-place tie at 1-under-71.

Charlie Flynn and Matt Weber each fired rounds of 2-over-par 74 with Flynn recording a birdie at the turn before sinking a pair of birdies on the front nine. Weber sank a birdie at No. 18 to make the turn at 3-over-39 before getting to 1-under in the round with a pair of birdies and an eagle at No. 7.

Jake Marler overcame a 4-over-40 on the back nine by sinking a pair of birdies at No. 3 and 5 to eventually finish at 3-over-75 for the round.

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2023 SUN BELT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
April 24-27, 2023
Madison, Miss. (Annandale Golf Club)
Par 72, 7,190 yards

TEAM RESULTS
1. Troy 284; 2. Louisiana 288; 3. Southern Miss 289; T4. Texas State 291; T4. South Alabama 291; 6. Georgia Southern 293; 7. James Madison 294; 8. Coastal Carolina 295; T9. Georgia State 297; T9. Appalachian State 297; 11. ULM 298; 12. Arkansas State 304; T13. Old Dominion 307; T13. Marshall 307.

LOUISIANA RESULTS
3. Malan Potgieter 69; T6. Eli Ortego 71; T27. Charlie Flynn 74; T27. Matt Weber 74; T38. Jake Marler 75.

Potgieter, Ortego Pace Louisiana In Opening Day of SBC Championships

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Players Mentioned

Charlie Flynn

Jake Marler

Eli Ortego

Malan Potgieter

Matt Weber

Players Mentioned

Charlie Flynn

Jake Marler

Eli Ortego

Malan Potgieter

Matt Weber

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