Oct. 7, 1999
Columbia, Mo. - For the fifth year in a row, some of the best collegiate golfers in the nation are coming to St. Louis, Mo.
The University of Missouri men?s golf team and the Missouri Bluffs Golf Club will host the fifth annual Purina Challenge, to be held Oct. 11-12. Play gets underway Monday with 36 holes of action, beginning with a shotgun start at 8:15 a.m. Monday?s final round begins at 8:15 a.m., as well. Practice rounds will be played Sunday, beginning at 11:00 a.m. There is no admission fee for the event, and all rounds are open to media and the public.
Becoming known as one of the premier fall collegiate tournaments, the Purina Challenge (formerly known as the Missouri Bluffs Invitational) will feature a 17-team field, including six Big 12 Conference schools. Joining Missouri from the Big 12 will be Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Nebraska. Other schools involved include Air Force, Arkansas State, California, Columbus State, Illinois, Louisiana-Lafayette, North Carolina-Charlotte, Purdue, Rice, Wake Forest and Wichita State.
Kansas would appear to be the pre-tournament favorite, as the Jayhawks are currently the highest-ranked team in the field, weighing in at 9th in the latest Sagarin College Golf Team Rankings. But Missouri is coming off a defeat of the Jayhawks, as the Tigers won the Kansas Invitational two weeks ago, when KU was ranked #1 in the Sagarin ratings. It was Missouri?s first team title in four years.
The top individual in the field, according to the Sagarin rankings, is Kansas? Ryan Vermeer. He comes into the tournament as the #3-ranked individual in the country, and is also the tournament?s defending champion. In 1998, Vermeer won the Missouri Bluffs by one stroke over Martin LeMesurier of Minnesota. He fired a final-round 65 (6-under par) ? a collegiate course record ? to secure the win.
Missouri?s top individual contender is senior and St. Louis native David Suggs. He struggled somewhat last year, finishing 75th overall at the Bluffs, but tied for 12th in 1997 as a sophomore. He is coming off a 3rd-place finish at Kansas. Also leading the MU charge are sophomores Cory Ewert (Joplin, Mo.), who finished 2nd at Kansas, and Neal Stafford (Springfield, Mo.), who has notched top-ten finishes in two of MU?s three fall outings.
Following this release is fact sheet concerning the specifics of the tournament.
PURINA CHALLENGE MEN?S GOLF TOURNAMENT FACT SHEETDATE: Oct. 11-12, 1999 HOST: University of Missouri COURSE: Missouri Bluffs Golf Club (314/939-6494) Par: 71 Yardage: 7,047 Course Rating: 74 Slope: 140 Course Record: 65 (collegiate record) LOCATION: St. Charles, Mo. (St. Louis suburb)
PARTICIPANTS: (1998 Team Score/Finish in Parentheses) Air Force (877 ? 10th) Arkansas State (871 ? 8th) California (849 ? 3rd) Colorado (869 ? 7th) Columbus State Illinois Iowa State Kansas (849 ? 3rd) Kansas State La.-Lafayette (877 ? 10th) Missouri (903 ? 15th) Nebraska UNC-Charlotte (866 ? 6th) Purdue (874 ? 9th) Rice (883 ? 14th) Wake Forest Wichita St. LAST YEAR?S TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL WINNERS: Team: Baylor (287-279-279=845) Individual: Ryan Vermeer, Kansas (67-74-65=206) Lowest Round: 65, Ryan Vermeer, Kansas (3rd)
RESULTS: Results will be available via FAX-on-DEMAND. Call 770/399-3066 from your fax machine. When asked for a passcode, enter 1212 (Big 12 Conference). The document number for Missouri Golf results is #1777. Results should be updated by 7:30 p.m. the first day, and by 5:00 p.m. the second day. All local media will be faxed directly from the course updated scores on the tournament following each day of competition.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: Sunday, Oct. 10th 11:00 a.m. ? Practice Rounds
Monday, Oct. 11th 8:15 a.m. ?36 Holes
Tuesday, Oct. 12th 8:15 a.m. ?18 Holes
MISSOURI BLUFFS INFO: The Missouri Bluffs Golf Club has a site on the Internet. Those interested in learning more about the Bluffs can point their web browser to: http://www.mobluffs.com