Razorbacks #17 in Preseason Coaches Poll

FAYETTEVILLE – The new-look Razorbacks are still being considered one of the top programs in the country as Arkansas is ranked 17th in the preseason Bushnell/Golfweek DI Coaches Poll, the Golf Coaches Association of America announced.

The Razorbacks are one of 14 SEC schools among the nation’s top 30, including top-ranked and defending national champion Auburn.

Gone are All-American Jacob Skov Olesen and All-Region pick John Driscoll III, who posted the first and third-best single-season scoring averages in school history last season.

The Razorbacks return four players from last year including senior Manuel Lozada, senior Matthis Lefevre, junior John Daly II and sophomore Thomas Curry.

Lozada has played in 35 events in his time with the Razorbacks and owns a career scoring average of 73.22 Lefevre, who transferred to Arkansas last season after being a two-time JuCo All-America, had a scoring average of 71.75 with four top 20 finishes last season. Daly’s scoring average of 71.78 last year ranks 24th on the school’s season list as he posted six top 20 finishes. Curry, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman team last year, had a scoring average of 72.39 which is the fourth-best season average by a Razorback rookie.

To help offset the loss of Olesen and Driscoll, head coach Brad McMakin brought in the fourth-ranked recruiting class in the country – Erich Fortlage, Pablo Garcia Terol, Gerardo Gomez and Jackson McLaughlin – as well as landing transfer Mark Stockdale, who was the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year last season.

Arkansas opens the season Sept. 9-11 at the Folds of Honor Collegiate, played in Grand Haven, Mich., at American Dunes GC. In addition to the 17th-ranked Razorbacks, the Folds of Honor features #3 Florida State, #8 Texas, #9 Illinois, #16 Alabama, #22 Ohio State and #34 Notre Dame. The tournament will be televised live on GOLF Channel each afternoon.

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