Missouri
Jackrabbit Invitational
@MizzouMensGolf Rallies to Take Sixth at The Jackrabbit Invitational
10/3/2017 8:17:00 PM | Men's Golf
Echelmeier’s 11th-place finish paces Tigers in Nebraska
VALENTINE, Neb. - Mizzou Men's Golf took sixth place in their second event of the season, climbing two spots on the leaderboard in round three of The Jackrabbit Invitational (Sunday, Oct. 1-Tuesday, Oct. 3). The Tigers were one of 10 teams to finish under-par (285-276-286 -- 847), but finished 22 strokes off the lead, as Santa Clara won the tournament with a strong 39 strokes under-par showing.
Junior Matt Echelmeier (Columbia, Mo.) paced the Tigers for the first time in his career. The Rock Bridge High School product took 11th-place, fueled by the best tournament performance of his career (72-69-68 -- 209). Echelmeier showed his ability to be clutch, as his career-best final round 68 sparked Mizzou's move up from eighth place to sixth in round three.
Finishing in the second slot for head coach Mark Leroux was senior Hayden Buckley (Belden, Miss.), who bounced back after adversity in the first round to register his second straight tournament under-par. Buckley opened play with a 76 in round one, but responded with a 68 in round two and a 69 in round three, which landed him tied for 28th overall. Buckley has now registered five rounds under-par, which leads the team this season.
Also tied for 28th-place overall was freshman Jamie Stewart (Renfrewshire, Scotland). The freshman started off hot, firing a 69 in round one and a 70 in round two. Stewart cooled slightly in the event's final round, shooting a 74, which was only his second round over-par this season.
Sophomore Rory Franssen (Inverness, Scotland) and freshman Jack Parker (Columbia, Mo.) both started the Jackrabbit well, but both fell off the pace in round three. Franssen (72-69-76 -- 217), who finished tied for 51st, finished an event outside of the top-twenty for the first time since last April, when he took 35th at the Mason Rudolph Challenge. Parker played a relatively consistent tournament (72-71-75—218). The freshman finished tied for 58th overall.
The Tigers' season is now in full swing, as they hit the links again just 10 days from now when they head to Jonesborough, Tennessee, to compete in the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate (Oct. 13-15).
For all the latest on Mizzou Men's Golf, stay tuned to MUTigers.com or follow on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@MizzouMensGolf).
