March 30, 2004
STEVINSON, Calif. - Fighting a 20-degree drop in temperature and a shift and increase in California's central-valley winds, Missouri senior David Jenkins (Springfield, Mo. / Glendale HS / SMS) was just one of 13 golfers to shoot par or better in the final round of the CU/Stevinson Ranch Invitational, held Tuesday at Stevinson Ranch Golf Club.
Jenkins carded an even-par 72 in the final 18 holes through the 7,191-yard track, putting him at three-under-par 213 and a tie for seventh place. Both marks were the best of the spring for Jenkins and marked his best performance since a fifth-place finish at Stanford in the last week of October.
As a team, the Tigers carded a four-man score of 302 in the wind-swept conditions, yet improved one spot after each round of the tournament. Mizzou's final aggregate total of 26-over 885 tied its best tournament score of the spring, set in the season-opener in Lakeland, Fla., in February. The seventh-place finish is just one off the spring's high finishes set there and the following tournament, the Roadrunner Intercollegiate in the first week of March.
Although Wichita State fired a Tuesday-best 290 to tie with Colorado for fourth, Kansas shot a steady 296-858 to post a three-stroke win over Kansas State. Iowa State was third (298-865).
Among Missouri's other golfers, sophomore Ben Scott (Lancashire, U.K.) had the second-best finish of the day and the tournament; his final-round 76 put him in a tie for 26th (221). Senior Michael Radek (Chicago, Ill. / St. Ignatius HS) shot a 78 in the wind to tie for 46th (226); freshman John Kelly (St. Louis, Mo. / Christian Brothers College HS) carded a 76 to tie for MU's second-best round of the day to finish at 227 (53rd); and junior Justin Bliss (Chesterfield, Mo. / Lafayette HS) finished with an 87 to place in a tie for 68th (236) in his season debut.
The Tigers have no break from action, as they travel straight to Lexington, Ky., for the Johnny Owens Invitational this Friday and Saturday, April 2-3. Mizzou's final tuneup for the April 26-27 Big 12 Conference Championships will take place two weeks from now at the Arkansas State Indian Classic (April 12-13) in Jonesboro, Ark.