@MizzouMensGolf Strong in First Half of 2015-16 Season
12/14/2015 12:09:00 PM | Men's Golf
Tigers showing promise out on the links
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Men's Golf closed out the first half of the season at the Kiawah Classic on Nov. 2, and it was more than a solid first half of the season for the Tigers.
Head coach Mark Leroux and his squad have placed in the top five in three of the five events they have competed in, including a win at the Turning Stone Intercollegiate (Sept. 6-7).
The traveling lineup has been relatively consistent throughout the course of the season, and Leurox has not been afraid to try out some of his younger players' skillsets. Of the seven players that have traveled and competed this season, only three are upperclassmen. The future is clearly bright for the program, as shown by a relatively young team that has competed well with some top talent across the country.
The young team does need leadership, and that has been provided by redshirt senior Wilson Sundvold (Columbia, Mo.), who has been the only senior on the traveling team this year. His consistency has been on display all year long; his stroke average of 73.9 is good for third among his peers, and he already has three rounds under par, one more than all of the 2014-15 season. For the Tigers to make noise at the SEC Championship (April 15-17, 2016), and grab a place in the NCAA Tournament, Sundvold must continue to guide his younger peers, and play solid golf.
Juniors Euan Walker (Troon, Scotland) and Linus Lilliedahl (Sandviken, Sweden) have both been crucial to the success of Mizzou this season.
Walker, with a stroke average of 73.6 for the first half, is second on the team, and has shaken off a slow start to come alive as the season has progressed. His play at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate (Oct. 9-11), including an extraordinary round of 66, which was the lowest of the season's first half, shows just how good the junior can become.
Lilliedahl, meanwhile, has put together a nice first half of the season after not starting the season as a part of the travelling team. After not playing at the Turning Stone, Lilliedahl has secured his place among the top five golfers in Mizzou's lineup. At two different events this year, Lilliedahl played the only round under par of any Tiger.
A huge bright spot for Mizzou so far this year has been sophomore Hayden Buckley (Belden, Miss.), who leads the Tigers with a stroke average of 72.9. He has been among Mizzou's top three finishers at every event this year so far, including leading the Tigers twice. Buckley also leads Mizzou with two events under par, and has already equaled his rounds under par from last year with the three he has played this year.
However, the youthful Buckley is not the only reason for optimism for Leroux's squad; both Matt Echelmeier (Columbia, Mo.) and Preston Fleenor (Kansas City, Mo.) are freshmen, and have put their potential on display for their head coach so far this season.
Fleenor placed second overall at the Turning Stone event, which was his first-ever collegiate event. He also played at the Jackrabbit Invitational (Sept. 26-28), which was his only other tournament played on the season.
Meanwhile, Echelmeier has become a fixture among the traveling squad for Mizzou, and has played well. He has played in Mizzou's last three competitive events. Continuing his strong play into the second half of the season will undoubtedly help the Tigers be successful.
Mizzou's season will resume on Feb. 20, when the squad travels to Gainesville, Fla., to tee off at the Gator Invitational.
