Preview: LA Tech at Argent Financial Classic

Sunday, September 10

Choudrant, LA

18 Holes

Louisiana Tech University

Argent Financial Classic

Photo by: Kane McGuire

Preview: LA Tech at Argent Financial Classic

9/8/2023 3:41:00 PM | Men's Golf

Live Stats Argent Financial Classic Packet

Bulldogs open 2023-24 season on Sunday, Sept. 10 at Squire Creek

By: Kane McGuire

RUSTON – The Louisiana Tech Golf team tees it up for the first time in 2023-24 as the Bulldogs host the Argent Financial Classic on Sept. 10-12. The event is free and open to the public.

EVENT INFORMATION
DATES: Sunday-Tuesday, Sept. 10-12
               ROUND 1 (SUNDAY): 7:30 a.m. start | Hole 10
               ROUND 2 (MONDAY): 7:30 a.m. start | Hole 10
               ROUND 3 (TUESDAY): 8 a.m. start | Holes 1 and 10
LOCATION: Squire Creek Country Club (Choudrant, La.)
STATS: Golfstat.com
STROKE PLAY: 3 rounds/54 holes (18 each day)
YARDAGE: 7,105 yards | Par 72
TEAMS: 16 total teams/93 players

ABOUT ARGENT FINANCIAL CLASSIC
This year's event will mark the 20th year the program has hosted a tournament at its home course, Squire Creek Country Club, with the first event coming in 2003. Argent Financial Group, a wealth management firm with headquarters in Ruston, is this year's event sponsor.

The 2022 event, which was called the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate, came down to the wire in round three with four teams in contention. Southern Miss ended up outdueling Middle Tennessee at the very end, winning the tournament with the best 54-hole score in the event's history.

ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH
LA Tech feature will feature a team lineup of Will Patrick, Niilo Maki-Petaja, Lake Juban, Jake Plumb, and Hunter Battles. There will also be four Bulldogs – Grant Smith, Peyton Johnson, Riley Hnatyshyn, and Joel Thomas Stephens – as individuals.

Will Patrick – The Oneonta, Alabama native is set for his fourth season at LA Tech. He as participated in 14 career events, seeing action in six last season with a stroke average of 75.78 over 18 rounds. He had a top-20 finish at last year's home event, carding back-to-back 69s.

Hunter Battles – The Muscle Shoals, Alabama native returns for his fifth season with the Bulldogs. He has played in 29 career events, registering a stroke average of 75.07 over 27 rounds in 2022-23.

Lake Juban – The Hallsville, Texas native is also back for a fifth season at LA Tech. He has the most collegiate experience on the team, having played in 33 career events as a Bulldog. He competed in all 11 regular season events last season, finishing third on the team with a 74.79 stroke average.

Niilo Maki-Petaja – The freshman from Helsinki, Finland will make his Bulldog debut. He recently finished second at the Finnish Amateur, an event he won back in 2017 as the youngest ever to claim the title. The lefty was also a member of the Finnish Boys U18 national team.

Jake Plumb – The freshman from Cambridge, England will also make his collegiate debut as a Bulldog. Over the summer, he helped Team England take home bronze at the European Boys Team Championship while also advancing to the final qualifier for The Open.

Returners Grant Smith, Peyton Johnson, Riley Hnatyshyn, and Joel Thomas Stephens each participated in the home event last season.

ROUND 1 TEE TIMES
8:20 a.m. | Hunter Battles
8:30 a.m. | Jake Plumb
8:40 a.m. | Lake Juban
8:50 a.m. | Niilo Maki-Petaja
9:00 a.m. | Will Patrick
10:20 a.m. | Joel Thomas Stephens
10:30 a.m. | Riley Hnatyshyn
10:40 a.m. | Peyton Johnson
10:50 a.m. | Grant Smith

ABOUT THE FIELD
A total of 16 golf programs (93 total golfers) will be competing in the Argent Financial Classic. The event features five teams that finished last season ranked in the top 100, three of which made the NCAA Regionals.