LOUISIANA La. - The influx of youth into the University of Louisiana golf team will continue for at least one more year.

After coach Bob Bass signed four of the state’s top junior players last year — three of them from Lafayette — he’s received a commitment from another prominent Louisiana prep player in Randy Guliuzo of Brother Martin High in New Orleans.

Guliuzo is expected to officially sign with the Ragin’ Cajun program next week in the NCAA’s early signing period, joining the now-freshman local trio of Michael Smith, Morgan Landry and B.C. Thibeaux and fellow frosh Justin Lowe of Tioga to make up the youth corps of the squad.

And much of the reason that Guliuzo cast his lot with the Cajuns was because of that group.

“I know all four of those guys really well,” Guliuzo said, “and that helps a lot. Especially Mike, he knows a lot about the swing, and I know just being around them will make my game so much better next year.”

Guliuzo’s Brother Martin team won the Class 5A state title last spring in a sudden-death playoff with Hahnville and Sulphur, and Guliuzo represented his team in the playoff at Oak Wing in Alexandria. He finished third individually in the 5A meet and is a four-year letterman for the Crusaders.

During the summer, he played in four American Junior Golf Association national events, finishing 13th in one of those including a five-under 67 in one round at Pelican Point in Gonzales. He also finished tied for first in the state Junior Amateur, losing in a playoff to Thomas Galloway at Shreveport Country Club.

He played in last week’s Louisiana Junior Cup, where the state’s top juniors are divided into East and West squads for Ryder Cup-style competition.

“I knew I wanted to play college golf,” Guliuzo said. “It came down to UL and Louisiana Tech, and when I visited I got a chance to go out and practice at Oakbourne, sit in on a class and meet the rest of the team. I liked all of that, and coach Bass is a really nice guy.”

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com