University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Tuesday, March 31
Carrollton, Texas
8 a.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
Maridoe Invitational
Strong Round By Potgieter Leads Cajuns at Rugged Maridoe
3/31/2026 3:49:00 PM | Golf
Louisiana finishes eighth in 13-team field
CARROLLTON, Texas – Malan Potgieter shot the low round of the day and UL's golf team tied for the fourth-lowest team round here Tuesday in the final round of the prestigious Maridoe Intercollegiate Tournament.
The Cajuns carded a 16-over 304 in the final round, five strokes behind seventh-ranked Oklahoma State and Baylor, who each shot a team 11-over 299 score over the difficult 7,569-yard par-72 Maridoe Golf Club. UL jumped one spot in the team standings in the final round, finishing eighth in a 13-team field that included four of the nation's top 16 collegiate teams.
Potgieter had three birdies and a lone bogey on the par-four 18th hole – the tournament's hardest hole at a 4.57 stroke average – and finished with a two-under-par 70. He was one of only four in the 75-player field to break par in Tuesday's final round, with Jack Pagovelc of Boston College, Grayson Petru of Sam Houston and Jonas Appel of Baylor finishing at one-under 71. The field included six players ranked in the national top 50, none of whom shot under par Tuesday.
UL finished at 302-312-304—918 (+54) in its final regular-season outing before the April 27-30 Sun Belt Conference Championships, on a day where the average score for the 75-player field was 78.01. That followed 76.25 and 77.59 stroke averages during Monday's first two rounds. Oklahoma State's winning 875 score was 11-over-par while ninth-ranked Arizona State finished second at 29-over 893. Baylor took third place at 33-over 897.
"If anything, the course was tougher today than Monday," said UL coach Theo Sliman. "It was the same strong winds, and the pins were even more tucked to make it a real challenge. The course showed its teeth. Our guys feel pretty beat up after these two days, but we lost to the ninth-ranked team in the country today by one shot (Arizona State had a final round 303), so that says a lot for our boys. They have the talent to be right up there with the best in the country."
Potgieter finished 12th individually thanks in great part to that final-round score, with his 74-78-70—222 (+6) score putting him seven behind the Oklahoma State duo of nationally-third-ranked Preston Stout and 45th-ranked Ethan Fang. Those two shared individual medalist honors at one-under 215 – the only players in the field to break par over three rounds – after first-day leader Fang finished at three-over 75. None of the top seven individual finishers broke par in the final round, and only Oklahoma's 12th-ranked Ryder Cowan equaled par in finishing at 72 for a 216 total to finish third individually.
Potgieter, a senior from Kirkwood, South Africa, who entered the Maridoe ranked 44th nationally, finished the regular season with top-12 finishes in all 10 of the Cajuns' tournament outings. He is the only collegian in the country with six top-three individual finishes, with no other Division I player having more than four top-threes, and has eight top-four finishes including defending his title at UL's own Louisiana Classics three weeks ago for one of his two victories.
"His performance this week, particularly today, was almost more impressive than defending his title at the Classics," Sliman said. "He was on a course he hadn't seen, against competition he hadn't seen a lot, and in conditions that were brutal. He's had the best season of anyone in program history, with hopefully more to come."
Potgieter began play on the ninth hole in the final-round shotgun start and carded 14 pars for the day, birdieing the par-three 14th and the 551-yard par-5 17th before the bogey at 18 – the only hole on the course with more bogeys (101) than pars (99) during the tournament. He came back to birdie the 655-yard par-five second before parring in for a 35-35—70.
Senior Jean Louis du Plessis, who had an opening-round 71 to rank in the individual top 10, junior Carter Schmitt and freshman James Holtsclaw all finished at 16-over 232 to tie for 36th individually. Schmitt and Holtsclaw both shot 77 on Tuesday and du Plessis shot 80, giving UL four finishers in the top 40. Sophomore Jay Brooks finished 69th with a 247 score after a final-round 80.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (@RaginCajunsGolf) or check RaginCajuns.com for Louisiana golf updates.
Maridoe Invitational – FINAL RESULTS
March 30-31, 2026
Maridoe Golf Club (7,569 yards, par 72), Carrollton, Texas
Team Standings: 1. Oklahoma State 283-293-299—875 (+11); 2. Arizona State 292-298-303—893 (+29); 3. Baylor 289-309-299—897 (+33); 4. North Texas 299-295-305—899 (+35); 5. Oklahoma 289-311-304—904 (+40); 6. Alabama 299-302-306—907 (+43); 7. UT Rio Grande Valley 304-299-311—914 (+50); 8. Louisiana 302-312-304—918 (+54); 9. Mississippi State 307-308-304—919 (+55); 10. Sam Houston 302-305-316—923 (+59); 11. UNC Greensboro 302-316-306—924 (+60); 12. Louisiana Tech 314-304-311—929 (+65); 13. Boston College 303-323305—931 (+67).
Individual Leaders: T1. Ethan Fang, Oklahoma State, 68-72-75—215 (-1); T1. Preston Stout, Oklahoma State, 69-73-73—215 (-1); 3. Ryder Cowan, Oklahoma, 68-76-72—216 (even); T4. Eric Lee, Oklahoma State, 70-73-74—217 (+1); T4. William Jennings, Alabama, 74-70-73—217 (+1).
UL Scores: 12. Malan Potgieter 74-78-70—222 (+6); T36. Jean Louis du Plessis 71-81-80—232 (+16); T36. Carter Schmitt 79-76-77—232 (+16); T36. James Holtsclaw 78-77-77—232 (+16); 69. Jay Brooks 80-87-80—247 (+31).
The Cajuns carded a 16-over 304 in the final round, five strokes behind seventh-ranked Oklahoma State and Baylor, who each shot a team 11-over 299 score over the difficult 7,569-yard par-72 Maridoe Golf Club. UL jumped one spot in the team standings in the final round, finishing eighth in a 13-team field that included four of the nation's top 16 collegiate teams.
Potgieter had three birdies and a lone bogey on the par-four 18th hole – the tournament's hardest hole at a 4.57 stroke average – and finished with a two-under-par 70. He was one of only four in the 75-player field to break par in Tuesday's final round, with Jack Pagovelc of Boston College, Grayson Petru of Sam Houston and Jonas Appel of Baylor finishing at one-under 71. The field included six players ranked in the national top 50, none of whom shot under par Tuesday.
UL finished at 302-312-304—918 (+54) in its final regular-season outing before the April 27-30 Sun Belt Conference Championships, on a day where the average score for the 75-player field was 78.01. That followed 76.25 and 77.59 stroke averages during Monday's first two rounds. Oklahoma State's winning 875 score was 11-over-par while ninth-ranked Arizona State finished second at 29-over 893. Baylor took third place at 33-over 897.
"If anything, the course was tougher today than Monday," said UL coach Theo Sliman. "It was the same strong winds, and the pins were even more tucked to make it a real challenge. The course showed its teeth. Our guys feel pretty beat up after these two days, but we lost to the ninth-ranked team in the country today by one shot (Arizona State had a final round 303), so that says a lot for our boys. They have the talent to be right up there with the best in the country."
Potgieter finished 12th individually thanks in great part to that final-round score, with his 74-78-70—222 (+6) score putting him seven behind the Oklahoma State duo of nationally-third-ranked Preston Stout and 45th-ranked Ethan Fang. Those two shared individual medalist honors at one-under 215 – the only players in the field to break par over three rounds – after first-day leader Fang finished at three-over 75. None of the top seven individual finishers broke par in the final round, and only Oklahoma's 12th-ranked Ryder Cowan equaled par in finishing at 72 for a 216 total to finish third individually.
Potgieter, a senior from Kirkwood, South Africa, who entered the Maridoe ranked 44th nationally, finished the regular season with top-12 finishes in all 10 of the Cajuns' tournament outings. He is the only collegian in the country with six top-three individual finishes, with no other Division I player having more than four top-threes, and has eight top-four finishes including defending his title at UL's own Louisiana Classics three weeks ago for one of his two victories.
"His performance this week, particularly today, was almost more impressive than defending his title at the Classics," Sliman said. "He was on a course he hadn't seen, against competition he hadn't seen a lot, and in conditions that were brutal. He's had the best season of anyone in program history, with hopefully more to come."
Potgieter began play on the ninth hole in the final-round shotgun start and carded 14 pars for the day, birdieing the par-three 14th and the 551-yard par-5 17th before the bogey at 18 – the only hole on the course with more bogeys (101) than pars (99) during the tournament. He came back to birdie the 655-yard par-five second before parring in for a 35-35—70.
Senior Jean Louis du Plessis, who had an opening-round 71 to rank in the individual top 10, junior Carter Schmitt and freshman James Holtsclaw all finished at 16-over 232 to tie for 36th individually. Schmitt and Holtsclaw both shot 77 on Tuesday and du Plessis shot 80, giving UL four finishers in the top 40. Sophomore Jay Brooks finished 69th with a 247 score after a final-round 80.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (@RaginCajunsGolf) or check RaginCajuns.com for Louisiana golf updates.
Maridoe Invitational – FINAL RESULTS
March 30-31, 2026
Maridoe Golf Club (7,569 yards, par 72), Carrollton, Texas
Team Standings: 1. Oklahoma State 283-293-299—875 (+11); 2. Arizona State 292-298-303—893 (+29); 3. Baylor 289-309-299—897 (+33); 4. North Texas 299-295-305—899 (+35); 5. Oklahoma 289-311-304—904 (+40); 6. Alabama 299-302-306—907 (+43); 7. UT Rio Grande Valley 304-299-311—914 (+50); 8. Louisiana 302-312-304—918 (+54); 9. Mississippi State 307-308-304—919 (+55); 10. Sam Houston 302-305-316—923 (+59); 11. UNC Greensboro 302-316-306—924 (+60); 12. Louisiana Tech 314-304-311—929 (+65); 13. Boston College 303-323305—931 (+67).
Individual Leaders: T1. Ethan Fang, Oklahoma State, 68-72-75—215 (-1); T1. Preston Stout, Oklahoma State, 69-73-73—215 (-1); 3. Ryder Cowan, Oklahoma, 68-76-72—216 (even); T4. Eric Lee, Oklahoma State, 70-73-74—217 (+1); T4. William Jennings, Alabama, 74-70-73—217 (+1).
UL Scores: 12. Malan Potgieter 74-78-70—222 (+6); T36. Jean Louis du Plessis 71-81-80—232 (+16); T36. Carter Schmitt 79-76-77—232 (+16); T36. James Holtsclaw 78-77-77—232 (+16); 69. Jay Brooks 80-87-80—247 (+31).
Players Mentioned
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Monday, March 02
Theo Sliman Media Availability (Mar 4, 2024)
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Head Coach Theo Sliman Media Availability (Mar. 6, 2023)
Monday, March 06
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