A return to NCAA Regional competition for the second straight season and five top-five performances highlighted another solid season for the University of Missouri men's golf team in 2002-2003. Sixth-year head coach Tim Robyn and a talented cast of young and experienced competitors took on the nation's best and competed at the highest level throughout the season.
The Fall Season
Mizzou had one of the best fall campaigns in school history, finishing in the top six in four of the five tournaments in which they played. The Tigers opened their fall campaign on Sept. 23-24 in Lawrence, Kan., at the Kansas Invitational grabbing a sixth-place finish. Senior Cory Ewert, who led the Tigers in stroke average for the three tournaments he played in for the fall (72.0), and junior Michael Radek were the Tigers' top individual finishers tying for ninth with a three-round total of 218. Radek, who was named an All-American Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America in 2003, was the story in the final round of the tournament, shooting a 68 to put the wraps on the competition and move into the ninth-place spot.
A trip to one of the most challenging courses in the Midwest, Colbert Hills Country Club in Manhattan, Kan., was next on the docket for Mizzou. The par-72, 7,525-yard course proved to be difficult on Monday due to strong southerly winds, but Tuesday seemed to be more favorable for the golfers as many scores were near par. As a team, Missouri finished with a score of 300, only one stroke off the best team score of the day handed in by both Lamar and host Kansas State. Junior Brandon Knaub led the Tigers by shooting a 73 on the day and finished tied for third in the tournament at eight over par (74-77-73-224).
The Tigers would then return to their home turf, so to speak, as they hosted the Nestl? Purina Classic at the Missouri Bluffs Golf Course in St. Charles, Mo. Mizzou played some of its most inspired golf of the season throughout the tourney. After rounds of 288 and 282 on Day 1 of the tournament, the Tigers were tied for fifth place heading into the final round trailing tournament-leader Illinois by 11 strokes. Tuesday brought a wind of change for the Tigers, although the wind hardly blew at the Bluffs, as Mizzou shot a blazing 269 on the day and an 839 for the tourney, just three strokes behind tournament-champion Illinois. The 839 was the second-lowest team total a Mizzou squad has ever registered and three Tigers finished in the top 10 including junior Michael Radek, who fired rounds of 72, 68 and 67 en route to a second-place finish.
After finishing 13th at The Nelson, hosted by Stanford, the Tigers would rebound in a major way in their final tournament of the fall, the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C. Mizzou fired a final-round team best of 285 to take third place with a three-round total of 870. The third-round total was 10 strokes better than Mizzou's second-round mark shot during the second day of the tourney. Senior Chris Happ fired a final round of 72 to finish the tournament at three under par with a three-day total of 213 to finish in third place overall. The total of 213 was Happ's best score during the fall and the third-place finish was also a fall season-best.
The Spring Season
After a solid fall campaign, the Tigers carried a ton of momentum into the spring season. They opened 2003 in a blaze of glory finishing third at the Rice Intercollegiate with a three-round total of 903. Happ and Knaub continued their outstanding play from the fall finishing in second and fourth place, respectively. Happ fired what would be his lowest round of the spring in the second round of the tourney with a four-under-par 68 en route to the lowest 54-hole total of the year, a 210.
A trip to Lakeland, Fla., and the Matlock Collegiate Classic yielded mixed results the following week. Mizzou finished in the 10th spot with a three-round total of 880, just one stroke behind the ninth-place team, Old Dominion, and only four strokes out of the top five. Knaub had the best round of his spring season, firing a five-under par 67 en route to a three-round total of 215, good for a tie for 10th place. Knaub's 67 equaled the best round of both the day and the tournament after he shot an opening round of 76 and a second round of 72.
Up next after nearly a month off for the Tigers was a trip to Lafayette, La., for the Louisiana Classics. Despite a fifth-place finish from Jenkins, the Tigers had their share of struggles finishing in 11th place. Jenkins fired a final-round 70 to finish at 3-under par and moved up from tied for 14th place to fifth place. His three-round total of 213 was just five strokes back of individual champion David Inglis of Tulsa.
Following a ninth-place finish at the Birkdale Collegiate, which was shortened to only two rounds due to rain, the Tigers played in the Stevinson Ranch Invitational and put on their best performance since the Rice Intercollegiate back in early February. Knaub shot a final-round 72 to finish the in a tie for second place with a three-round total of 214. He led the Tigers to a tie for fifth place with a team total of 880, just five strokes out of the top three, at the par-72 course located in Stevinson, Colo. Their final round total of 291 ended up being their best round of the spring. Knaub was unbelievable in the two-day event, firing rounds of 71, 71 and 72 for a total of 214, his lowest three-round total of the spring and since the Nestle Purina Classic in the fall season. Happ was also extremely consistent, shooting rounds of 73, 73 and 74 for a tourney total of 220, good for a tie for 19th place and just five strokes out of the top five. Happ's 19th-place finish was his best finish since the Rice Intercollegiate, which kicked off the Tigers' spring season.
In the Tigers' final action before the Big 12 Championships, they finished the Arkansas State Indian Classic in a tie for seventh place with Rice. The battle for the Nos. 3-9 spots in the tourney was extremely tight with only a four-stroke differential between the seven teams. Mizzou shot a final round 300 for a three-round total of 889, just a stroke behind LSU and Arkansas-Little Rock, two strokes back of Iowa State (887) and three strokes behind Nebraska (886) in third place. Jenkins was the Tigers' top individual performer, shooting rounds of 72, 76 and 74 to round out the tourney. He was just four strokes out of the top 10 and only five strokes out of top five.
With aspiration of qualifying for NCAA Regional competition hanging in the balance, the Tigers struggled to a 10th-place finish at the Big 12 Championships, which were played in Tulsa, Okla. After shooting a strong 306 in the second round of the tourney, Mizzou struggled in the final round, shooting a 320 on the day to finish with a three-round total of 944. Texas took the team title at the event while Oklahoma State's Hunter Mahan took home the individual title. Happ was a bright spot for Mizzou as he carded his best round of the tourney, a 76 on the final day, and finished in a tie for 19th place. His three-round total was just five strokes out of the top 10.
Despite the Tigers' struggles in the Big 12 Championships, the Tigers were invited to compete in NCAA Regional competition for the second straight year. They qualified for the central regional, which was played at Colbert Hills on May 15-17. Knaub was once again the Tigers' top finisher, shooting a 215 for the tournament, including a second-round 69 as he earned a 20th-place finish.
The Tigers' 26th-place finish at NCAA Regionals ended a solid season that saw the Tigers put up some amazing scores throughout the year. Seniors Chris Happ and Cory Ewert wrapped up successful careers at Mizzou and will be missed in the coming year, but the Tigers will remain hungry and will continue to compete for the top spot in the Big 12 with a great group of young talent that should have the Tigers back in the Dance for years to come.