Cajuns Find Early "Bright" Spot In Taking Lead in Sandestin

MIRIMAR BEACH, Fla. – UL's golf team showed no effects from the graduation loss of one of the top players in Ragin' Cajun history here Monday.

In fact, their team numbers surpassed all of last year's events when the Cajuns had All-American Malan Potgieter in the lineup, in Monday's opening round of the Sandestin Collegiate hosted by Texas State.

The Cajuns posted four sub-par scores – something that didn't happen all last year – and rallied from a shaky start to grab the 18-hole lead in their 2026-27 fall season opener. UL shot a nine-under-par 271 over the difficult 7,000-yard par-72 Raven course to claim a two-shot lead heading into Tuesday's second round.

"Coming off the qualifying that we had at home when the numbers were really good, you never really know what will happen when the lights turn on and the tournament starts," said Cajun coach Theo Sliman. "To have our high round out of six guys be 72 in the first round of the season, and five of them from the state of Louisiana, that's really exciting."

Fourth-year junior Ellis Bright of Bath, England, who missed all but five rounds last year and saw no action in the spring with an injury, carded six birdies on his way to a four-under 66 in his return to action. Bright, who finished only one tournament and had to withdraw from a second last fall, had five birdies in a nine-hole span after starting off even par through six holes.

"This was a long time coming," said Bright, who is in a three-way tie for third and two strokes back of individual leader Jen chie Huang of Texas-Arlington (64). "I just felt so grateful, so appreciate of just being out there. I've got a different kind of outlook now and my mind set's pretty happy.

"I made putts, I made good golf swings. Those few holes in that stretch, you're thinking there's no hole you can't birdie, right from the tee shots I'm thinking let's make birdie. And I saw all the guys were playing well, and that motivates you to keep playing well."

"You always pull for every one of your teammates," Sliman said, "but if there's one player that this team wants to see have success it's that young man after the year he had last year. He's taking it one tournament at a time, but I know his goals are high and he's determined to post some numbers."

Two freshmen and a sophomore made up the other three counting scores for UL, opening an 11-tournament schedule in the first of five fall events. Sophomore James Holtsclaw of Shreveport and freshman Jack Carter of Baton Rouge both turned in two-under 68 scores and freshman Kye Hanks of Lake Chares posted a 69.

Fourth-year junior Carter Schmitt of Baton Rouge shot one-over 71 and sophomore Drew Sliman of Lafayette had a two-over 72 playing as an individual. Of the five in the UL lineup, Holtsclaw shot four-under 31, Bright, Schmitt and Hanks shot 33 and Carter 34 on the back nine. Over the last 12 holes, the Cajuns had 22 birdies against only six bogeys.

That helped UL rally from a tie for 13th in the 14-team field at one point in Monday's round.

"They got off to a rough start," Sliman said. "They weren't nervous as in scared, they were anxious to go do what they've been doing at home in qualifying. They were excited to compete and they didn't quite handle that excitement the way they're going to learn it. They know what they're capable of, and the fight they showed to go from second to last place through eight or nine holes and to flip it to end up with the lead says something."

Mercer stands in second place at seven-under 273, West Florida is three more strokes back at 276 and ULM and Texas State are two more back tied for fourth at 278.

Lukas Lautrup of Mercer is in second place individually after an opening 65, while Bright is tied with Ethan Weinberg of West Florida and Sam Norman of Central Arkansas at 66. The Cajuns have four players in the individual top 20, with Holtsclaw and Carter tied for 12th and Hanks tied for 18th entering Tuesday's second of three rounds that begins with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Pairings and live scoring are available at Scoreboard.clippd.com.

Sandestin Collegiate – First-round results
Sept. 14, 2026
The Raven (7,000 yards, par 70) at Sandestin, Miramar Beach, Fla.

Team Standings: 1. Louisiana 271 (-9); 2. Mercer 273 (-7); 3. West Florida 276 (-4); T4. ULM 278 (-2); T4. Texas State 278 (-2); T6. Nicholls 279 (-1); T6. Lamar 279 (-1); T8. Houston Christian 280 (even); T8. UT-Arlington 280 (even); T10. High Point 281 (+1); T10. East Texas A&M 281 (+1); 12. Central Arkansas 283 (+3); 13. South Alabama 289 (+9); 14. LSU New Orleans 295 (+15).

Individual Leaders: 1. Jen chie Huang, UT-Arlington 64 (-6); 2. Lukas Lautrup, Mercer, 65 (-5); T3. Ellis Bright, Louisiana, 66 (-4); T3. Ethan Weinberg, West Florida, 66 (-4); T3. Sam Norman, Central Arkansas, 66 (-4).

UL Scores: T3. Ellis Bright 66 (-4); T12. Jack Carter 68 (-2); T12. James Holtsclaw 68 (-2); T18. Kye Hanks 69 (-1); T36. Carter Schmitt 71 (+1); T46. Drew Sliman 72 (+2) (individual).

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Cajuns Find Early "Bright" Spot In Taking Lead in Sandestin

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Players Mentioned

Ellis Bright

Jack Carter

Kye Hanks

James Holtsclaw

Malan Potgieter

Carter Schmitt

Drew Sliman