‍Madison, Miss. — The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's golf team wrapped up a solid Day 1 performance at the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Men's Golf Championship on Monday, finishing in a tie for fourth place at 2-under-par at the challenging Annandale Golf Club. Play was suspended later in the day due to impeding weather.

Competing against 13 of the Sun Belt’s best, the Cajuns kept themselves well within striking distance of the leaders thanks to steady play from veterans Eli Ortego and Malan Potgieter, along with a breakout round from Jean Louis du Plessis.

Team Standings

Louisiana sits at 2-under-par, matching Troy and trailing only Arkansas State (-10), James Madison (-4), and Coastal Carolina (-3)​. The Cajuns are in prime position to contend for one of the top four spots that will advance to match play on Thursday.

Top Performers

• Eli Ortego carded a 1-under-par round, finishing in a tie for 11th place individually. His play on the par-4s was a highlight, where he ranked 4th overall with an average of 3.80 (-2)​.
• Malan Potgieter also shot 1-under, excelling on par-3s with a tournament-best average of 2.50 (-2), leading all players in that category​.
• Jean Louis du Plessis recorded 5 birdies on the day, tied for 4th-most in the field, helping offset a pair of double bogeys that kept him from moving further up the leaderboard​.
• Carter Schmitt and Kyle Bennett rounded out the squad’s scoring, with Bennett battling through six bogeys but contributing to the overall team momentum​.

By the Numbers

• Louisiana ranked second in birdies with 19, only one behind Arkansas State​.
• They played the par-5s at 4.70 (-6), good for 4th-best among all teams.
• The team’s scoring average on par-4s (4.02) was the second-best in the field​.

The Cajuns will look to build on this strong foundation when they tee off Tuesday morning for Round 2. With favorable weather and solid momentum, Coach Theo Sliman’s group will aim to climb the leaderboard and secure a coveted spot in Thursday’s match play semifinals.