Sept. 26, 2003
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri men's golf team is going through its final preparations for its next competition, the Jim Colbert Intercollegiate, which will take place on Monday and Tuesday at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kan.
The Tigers are coming off a 12th-place season-opening performance at the Inverness Intercollegiate in Toledo, Ohio. Senior David Jenkins (Springfield, Mo. / Glendale HS / Southwest Missouri State) earned his first top-10 finish of the season by sandwiching scores of 71 and 73 around a second-round 80. Fellow senior Michael Radek (Chicago, Ill. / St. Ignatius HS) and sophomore Ben Scott (Lancashire, United Kingdom / St. Theodore's HS) joined Jenkins by also turning in 73's on the final day at the former U.S. Open venue, giving the Tigers an immediate triple-threat to score low.
Freshman John Kelly (St. Louis, Mo. / Christian Brothers College HS) and sophomore Chris Mabry (Leawood, Kan. / Bishop Miege HS), along with freshman Beau Crawford (La Plata, Mo. / Kirksville HS), comprise the rest of the Tiger travel squad. Either Crawford or Kelly will compete as a non-scoring individual for Mizzou.
Head Coach Tim Robyn noted the geography and weather of northern Kansas will factor in how the course plays. "Wind is the biggest factor in golf, and there's a lot of wind out in the plains of Kansas," he said. "On top of that, the design of the course features a lot of elevated tees, particularly from the championship tees. They're way up there. Putting is often overlooked in windy conditions, and those greens seem like they're designed for calmer conditions. Scoring could be a problem.
"But overall," Robyn notes, "I'm really pleased with how well the guys are coming together. They share the same vision of success for this program. It's making my job easy - everyone has a good attitude, is energetic, and they're doing well in school."
The Tigers do have a history of success at the Colbert. Mark McBride was the medallist at the Colbert Intercollegiate back in 2000. Mizzou was fourth out of 12 teams last year, with Brandon Knaub tying for third individually.
MIZZOU MEN'S GOLF
at Jim Colbert Intercollegiate - Manhattan, Kan.
Mon.-Tue., Sept. 29-30, 2003
Colbert Hills Golf Course - 7,525 yards / par 72
Format: Two 18-hole rounds (shotgun start) on Monday, and one 18-hole round (shotgun start) on Tuesday.
Field: Arizona State, Drake, Iowa, Kansas State, Mississippi State, MIZZOU, Nebraska, Southwest Missouri St.