Troy University Athletics
Sunday, September 8
Ruston, La.
All Day
Troy University
vs
Argent Financial Classic
Troy Men’s Golf Opens Season at Argent Financial Classic
9/7/2024 10:03:00 AM | Golf (M)
TROY, Ala. – The Troy men's golf team opens the 2024-25 season Sunday with the opening round of the Argent Financial Classic, hosted by Louisiana Tech at Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant, Louisiana.
"Our guys have been practicing really hard and working out really hard to start the year," second-year head coach Clay Bounds said. "Our freshmen have come in and really pushed the older guys in qualifying and made a charge to find a spot in the opening lineup."
Despite the youth movement, Bounds will send out a lineup loaded with veterans, led by senior Jake Springer, who paced Troy's efforts last season with a 72.70 stroke average and 0.88 score vs. par. Also in the lineup is sophomore Pablo Gracia, who led Troy with 10 rounds under par and finished second with four rounds in the 60s. He blazed out of the gates with a 71.87 stroke average last fall.
"We've got five seniors on our team, who bring a lot of leadership on and off the course," Bounds said. "Our sophomores gained so much experience last year, which is really going to carry them a long way this year."
Lee Poppell, who had a strong summer as he qualified along with Brantley Scott and Springer for the Southern Amateur Championship, also had a strong fall last season, posting a 72.56 stroke average before finishing the year with four rounds under par, all in the 60s.
Nick Fowlkes and Jason Quinlan will round out Troy's lineup for the opener. Fowlkes added four rounds under par last season after transferring from Cal State Northridge, while Quinlan will see his first action since the spring of 2023. There is one noticeable absence in Troy's lineup, as Scott will miss the opener as he continues to recover from an offseason injury.
Squire Creek is no stranger to Troy, as the Trojans opened the season there last year and several years in the past as well.
"Squire Creek is a big golf course, almost 7,200 yards," Bounds said. "The greens are going to be really fast, so we'll spend some extra time putting during the practice rounds. We're going to have to get after the par 5s; they are reachable, and we've got some guys who can drive the ball pretty far."
Troy will play Sunday's opening round along with Nicholls State and Jacksonville State beginning at 12:10 p.m. from the 10th tee.
The Field
Troy, Louisiana Tech, South Alabama, Houston, Louisiana, Rice, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, UAB, Southern Miss, Abilene Christian, Nicholls State, Lamar, Western Kentucky, Little Rock, Jacksonville State, ULM
"Our guys have been practicing really hard and working out really hard to start the year," second-year head coach Clay Bounds said. "Our freshmen have come in and really pushed the older guys in qualifying and made a charge to find a spot in the opening lineup."
Despite the youth movement, Bounds will send out a lineup loaded with veterans, led by senior Jake Springer, who paced Troy's efforts last season with a 72.70 stroke average and 0.88 score vs. par. Also in the lineup is sophomore Pablo Gracia, who led Troy with 10 rounds under par and finished second with four rounds in the 60s. He blazed out of the gates with a 71.87 stroke average last fall.
"We've got five seniors on our team, who bring a lot of leadership on and off the course," Bounds said. "Our sophomores gained so much experience last year, which is really going to carry them a long way this year."
Lee Poppell, who had a strong summer as he qualified along with Brantley Scott and Springer for the Southern Amateur Championship, also had a strong fall last season, posting a 72.56 stroke average before finishing the year with four rounds under par, all in the 60s.
Nick Fowlkes and Jason Quinlan will round out Troy's lineup for the opener. Fowlkes added four rounds under par last season after transferring from Cal State Northridge, while Quinlan will see his first action since the spring of 2023. There is one noticeable absence in Troy's lineup, as Scott will miss the opener as he continues to recover from an offseason injury.
Squire Creek is no stranger to Troy, as the Trojans opened the season there last year and several years in the past as well.
"Squire Creek is a big golf course, almost 7,200 yards," Bounds said. "The greens are going to be really fast, so we'll spend some extra time putting during the practice rounds. We're going to have to get after the par 5s; they are reachable, and we've got some guys who can drive the ball pretty far."
Troy will play Sunday's opening round along with Nicholls State and Jacksonville State beginning at 12:10 p.m. from the 10th tee.
The Field
Troy, Louisiana Tech, South Alabama, Houston, Louisiana, Rice, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, UAB, Southern Miss, Abilene Christian, Nicholls State, Lamar, Western Kentucky, Little Rock, Jacksonville State, ULM
Players Mentioned
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