April 26, 2004
HUTCHINSON, Kan. - Battling gusts in central Kansas of up to 25 miles an hour, the University of Missouri men's golf team is in 10th place after two rounds of the Big 12 Conference Men's Golf Championships at Prairie Dunes Golf Club.
The Tigers, who came into the tournament seeded 10th by the league's head coaches, began with a team score of 299 (19-over-par) - just four strokes off their best opening round of the spring - on the 6,598-yard, par-70 layout. The back nine was the Tigers' undoing in the morning round; after the Mizzou quintet went out in a composite 10-over-par, they came back in 29-over. Baylor also shot a 299 in the first round. Teeing off from the 10th tee in the afternoon, the Tigers closed with a 301 for the eighth-best total of the second round.
Oklahoma State and two-time defending Big 12 champion Texas are tied for the lead at 17-over going into the final round. The two teams are just two strokes ahead of Kansas State. The Tigers are just eight strokes behind Kansas for fifth place.
Individually, UT's Jason Hartwick leads the field after rounds of 70 and 66 to stand at 4-under. He will take a three-stroke lead over OSU's Alex Noren heading into Tuesday's final round.
Making his first appearance in the team lineup since the fall, sophomore Chris Mabry (Leawood, Kan. / Bishop Miege HS) is the Tigers' best individual after the first day and is just three strokes out of the top 10. He got off to a great start in the morning, posting birdies on 2 and 3 and parring out the front nine, yet started the back nine bogey-double bogey and finished at 4-over 74. That still tied for MU's low morning round; Mabry closed with a second 74 to stand at 8-over in a tie for 17th.
A double bogey on the 18 to close sophomore Ben Scott's (Lancashire, United Kingdom / St. Theodore's HS) opening round dropped him to a 76, yet he recovered in the afternoon with birdies on 7 and 8 (his 16th and 17th holes) to shoot even over his final nine for a second-round 75. He is in a tie for 40th.
Freshman John Kelly (St. Louis, Mo. / Christian Brothers College HS) had the opposite happen to him in his second round, starting double bogey-bogey-bogey, and closing with three straight bogeys en route to a 78. He had shot a 74 in the morning to tie for the team lead after the first round; Kelly stands in a tie for 40th place heading into Tuesday's final round.
Senior Michael Radek (Chicago, Ill. / St. Ignatius HS) rebounded from a disappointing opening 80 to shoot 3-over 73 to post Mizzou's best afternoon round. He is in a tie for 44th.
Senior David Jenkins (Springfield, Mo. / Glendale HS / SMS) eagled the 500-yard par 5 17th hole in the morning - one of nine on the day on the hole that is by far Prairie Dunes' easiest this week - and carded an opening 75 before closing with a 79. He is tied for 47th.
2004 Big 12 Conference Men's Golf Championships
Prairie Dunes Golf Club - Hutchinson, Kan. // Par 70 // 6,598 Yards
Second Round Team Standings
t-1. Oklahoma State, 292-285-577 and Texas, 287-290-577 (+17); 3. Kansas State, 290-289-579 (+19); 4. Oklahoma, 295-292-587 (+27); 5. Kansas, 291-301-592 (+32); 6. Iowa State, 296-298-594 (+34); t-7. Colorado, 295-301-596 and Baylor, 299-297-596 (+36); 9. Texas Tech, 294-303-597 (+37); 10. Missouri, 299-301-600 (+40); 11. Texas A&M, 304-305-609 (+49); 12. Nebraska, 314-299-613 (+53).
MU Individual Placings
t-17, Chris Mabry, 74-74-148; t-40, John Kelly, 74-78-152; t-40, Ben Scott, 76-76-152; t-44, Michael Radek, 80-73-153; t-47, David Jenkins, 75-79-154.