October 27, 1998
Springfield, Mo. -- - The University of Missouri men's golf team just missed out on rookie coach TIM ROBYN'S first team victory today, as the Tigers finished second in the 1998 Pepsi SMS Golf Challenge, which concluded today in Springfield, Mo. The final 18 holes were held today, with the first 36 held yesterday at Highland Springs Country Club.
The Tigers finished just two strokes behind champion Arkansas State, which won the tournament for the second straight year. Arkansas State shot team rounds of 299-291-296 for a total of 886, while the Tigers shot rounds of 291-300-297 to finish two back at 888. The second-place finish is MU's best this season. Missouri's second round team score of 300 is what ultimately kept the Tigers from claiming the team title, as they lost nine strokes to Arkansas State, as the Indians carded a second-round team total of 291.
Individually, junior DAVID SUGGS (71-76-73=220) finished in second place, just six shots back of medalist Zoltan Veress of Arkansas State (71-71-72=214). The finish is Suggs' career best, surpassing his previous high collegiate finish of sixth place, accomplished as a freshman in the spring of 1997 in the same tournament.
Three more Tigers finished among the top ten in the tournament field. The group was led by freshman MARK McBRIDE (75-73-75=223), who tied for fifth overall. Fellow freshman NEAL STAFFORD (70-79-76=225), a Springfield, Mo., native, was just two strokes back, and tied for ninth place overall. Also tied for ninth was sophomore BLAYNE ROSELY (75-76-74=225), who notched his first career top-ten finish in a collegiate event. The finishes for McBride and Stafford also represented career collegiate bests.
Rounding out the Tiger competitors was senior ETHAN ROST (79-75-75=229), who tied for 21st place individually. The Jefferson City, Mo., native's finish represented a career best, as well.
The tournament is MU's last for nearly a month, as the Tigers don't play again until they close the 1998 fall season at the Mauna Kea Resort Challenge, scheduled to be held Nov. 25-26 in Hilo, Hi.