Potgieter tabbed as Freshman of the Year; Sliman named Coach of the Year

Highlig343hted by Freshman of the Year Malan Potgieter and Coach of the Year Theo Sliman, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Golf team placed three members on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) Men's and Women's College Golf team, the organization released on Monday.

The 2023 LSWA Men's and Women's Golf team was based off nominations and voting from the state's golf athletics communications contacts.

Potgieter and Sliman were joined by Eli Ortego, who repeated on the All-Louisiana team as a second-team selection.

Potgieter, a first-team selection on the 10-member squad, earned LSWA Freshman of the Year honors after helping carry Louisiana to its first Sun Belt Conference title since 2007 and first team berth in the NCAA Regionals since 2012. The freshman posted a 72.31 scoring average in 43 rounds of play while producing six top-20 finishes and four top-10 performances.

He led the team in scoring average, first round average (71.42), par 4 scoring (4.11), eagles (7) and birdies (115). Potgieter posted a low round of 5-under 67 at the Ka'anapali Collegiate Classic and had a counting score in 37 of 39 rounds of stroke play on the season.

Potgieter had a team-best 21 rounds of par or lower with four rounds in the 60's, was 2-1-1 in match play and set the Ragin' Cajuns single-season record for par-5 scoring (4.68)

Ortego, named to the second team, averaged 72.82 per round in 15 events. He joined Potgieter as the lone players on the team to play in all 15 events of the season.

The Louisiana native had a counting score in 38 of 39 rounds in stroke play and led the team in par 3 scoring (3.18) and was second in par-5 scoring (4.71).

Ortego was second in birdies (113), par 4 scoring (4.20) and eagles (5) and set a school-record with an 8-under-63 in the final round of the Ka'anapali Collegiate Classic. Ortego finished with a 9-under-204 for the tournament for the fourth-lowest 54-hole total in school history.

He recorded 20 rounds of par or better with five rounds in the 60's. Ortego posted two top-10 finishes, highlighted by career-best, fourth-place showing (4-under-212) at the Sun Belt Conference Championships while going 2-2-0 in match play.

Sliman guided a young squad to four top-5 finishes on the season and its first-ever appearance in Sun Belt Conference Match Play. His team set single-season records in par-3 scoring (3.15), par-4 scoring (4.17) and par-5 scoring (4.81).

Louisiana's final round score of 17-under-267 at the Ka'anapali Classic Collegiate was the lowest in school history.

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2023 LSWA MEN'S AND WOMEN'S COLLEGE GOLF TEAMS
MEN'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Drew Doyle, LSU
MEN'S FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR –Malan Potgieter, Louisiana
MEN'S NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – Thomas Henson, Louisiana Tech
MEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR –Theo Sliman, Louisiana

MEN'S FIRST TEAM
Drew Doyle, LSU
Garrett Barber, LSU
Charlie Forster, Southeastern Louisiana
Luke Haskew, LSU
Malan Potgieter, Louisiana

MEN'S SECOND TEAM
Melan Dhaubhadel, ULM
Ryan Fulton, New Orleans
Eli Ortego, Louisiana
James Swash, Louisiana Tech
Otto Van Buynder, ULM