Feb. 25, 2007

HOUSTON - The Lamar University men's golf team, who is ranked No. 3 in the Golfweek collegiate rankings, opens the spring season at the All-American Intercollegiate hosted by the University of Houston at Cypresswood Golf Club.

The 11-team field will play 36 holes Monday and 18 Tuesday for a 54-hole event at The Tradition Course, which plays to a par-72 at 7,220-yards. The field includes the host Cougars, Colorado, Iowa State, Jacksonville State, Kansas, Lamar, Louisiana-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, Southeastern Louisiana and Wyoming.

Junior Dawie Van Der Walt, a native of Cape Town, South Africa, led the Cardinals with a 71.83 fall scoring average over 12 rounds. He is currently ranked 10th in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. Junior Casey Clendenon, a Katy native, posted a 72.33 fall scoring average over 15 rounds. He is ranked 60th in the Golfweek rankings.

Oliver Bekker, a sophomore from Stellenbosch, South Africa, was third on the team with a 73.20 scoring average over 15 rounds. He posted a fourth-place finish at the Fighting Irish Gridiron Classic. He is ranked 18th in the Golfweek rankings.

Rounding out the Cardinals lineup will be senior Dusty Smith and sophomore Justin Harding. A native of The Woodlands, Smith posted a 75.27 fall scoring average. A native of Cape Town, South Africa, Harding posted a 74.13 fall scoring average. He won medalist honors at the Fighting Irish Gridiron Classic hosted by Notre Dame.

Lamar won tournament titles at the Fighting Irish Gridiron Classic hosted by Notre Dame and The Club Glove Intercollegiate hosted by Pepperdine in the fall. The Cardinals also advanced to the finals of the Callaway Match Play Championships at Colonial CC in Fort Worth, losing to defending NCAA Champion Oklahoma State. Lamar defeated Coastal Carolina, UCLA and Texas A&M to get to the finals.