April 13, 2012

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Lamar University men's golf team will play its final tune up before heading to the Southland Conference Championships when the Cardinals open play in the Wolfpack Spring Open on Saturday morning.

The two-day, 36-hole tournament will be played on the par-72, 7,358-yard Lonnie Poole Golf Course. The first round will begin Saturday morning at 8:30, while Sunday's final round will start at 8 a.m.

Host North Carolina State will welcome a field of 17 teams to its annual event. Scheduled to play are Binghamton, Drexel, East Carolina, Francis Marion, George Mason, James Madison, Louisville, Middle Tennessee State, Troy, Connecticut, Louisiana-Monroe, Loyola (Md.), Army, Navy and Valparaiso.

Senior M.J. Daffue picked up his first individual tournament win at last year's Wolfpack Spring Open as the Cardinals placed second as a team. Daffue, who leads the team with a 73.2 strokes per round scoring average, has won three more times since.

Fellow senior Xavier Feyaerts also played well at last year's event, tying for second place in the 69-player field. Feyaerts carded rounds of 70 and 74 to finish at 2-over-par 144, five shots behind Daffue. He is currently averaging 74.4 strokes per round.

Kevin Hesbois, who is second to Daffue with a 73.8 scoring average, is the only other Cardinal to have played in the event before. Hesbois tied for 27th after rounds of 74 and 78.

Freshman Luke Jerling and sophomore Stephane Dubois will round out the Cardinals' team. Jerling is coming off a team-best tie for 29th at The Woodlands All-American Intercollegiate which included a second round 69. He is third on the team in scoring average at 74.3

Dubois will be playing in his fifth tournament for the Cardinals since transferring in the spring from Wisconsin. Dubois has averaged 76.8 strokes per round over his first four events for Lamar.

The Cardinals won the Border Olympics on March 17, but have since struggled in their last two outings. Lamar is coming off a disappointing tie for 13th on Tuesday at The Woodlands All-American Intercollegiate.

Following this weekend's action, the Cardinals will be looking for their 24th team title at the Southland Conference Championships scheduled for Apr. 23-25 at Stonebridge Country Club in Dallas.

LAMAR