Feb. 15, 2005
LAKELAND, Fla. - A hole-in-one from junior Ben Scott (Lancashire, United Kingdom / St. Theodore's HS) has helped lead the Missouri men's golf team after the first day of the Matlock Collegiate Classic at the Grasslands CC.
The hole-in-one came during the morning round on the course's 14th hole. Firing a 3-iron into the teeth of a 25 mile-per-hour wind from 205 yards out, Scott posted his second ace in as many seasons. Starting on the fifth hole under the day's shotgun format, the fortuitous stroke came on Ben's 10th hole of the round, which he completed in a 2-under-par 70. He finished the day with a 1-over 73, putting him in a tie for third place just two strokes back of Kansas State's Matt VanCleave. The first-round 70 matches Scott's best opening round of the season.
As a team, the Tigers shot a four-score aggregate total of 6-over 295 in the morning, which was the third-best team score. In the afternoon, Mizzou fired the second-best round with a 297, and is currently in fourth place, just four strokes off the pace set by Division II Georgia College and State University.
Sophomore Shawn Jasper (Marthasville, Mo. / Francis Howell HS / Newman Univ.) is also among the top-10 players of the 75-player field after shooting rounds of 74 and 74 to stand in a tie for eighth.
"We're in position to win a golf tournament," Head Coach Mark Leroux. "With the top three teams paired together tomorrow, they might spend too much time worrying about each other and not keep an eye on the Tigers lurking in the grass. I told the team that out of the 20 or so tournaments we won when I was at Austin Peay, at least five of them came when we went into the final round in fourth."
Among MU's other competitors, senior Justin Bliss (Chesterfield, Mo. / Lafayette HS) and sophomore Trent Twaddle (Maryville, Mo. / Maryville HS) are in a tie for 19th. Bliss fired rounds of 75 and 76, while Twaddle reversed those totals. Sophomore John Kelly (St. Louis, Mo. / Christian Brothers College HS) rounded out the scoring with rounds of 78 and 80.
"Some players made some double-bogeys here and there, and they were able to fight and come back and get in a position to get back to par. John Kelly struggled, but it's good for us that the other guys were able to pick up the slack. Everyone on the team knows that he rarely has three bad rounds, so chances are, he is going to shoot something good."
The first players tee off to start the day's final round Tuesday morning beginning at 8 a.m. EST.
MIZZOU MEN'S GOLF
at the Matlock Invitational - Lakeland, Fla.
Grasslands CC - 7,065 yards / par 72
TEAM STANDINGS (top five through 36 of 54 holes) - 1. Georgia Coll. & State, 289-299--588; 2. (tie), Kansas State (291-298--589) and Florida Southern (297-292--589; 4. MIZZOU, 295-297--592; 5. Lynn, 297-305--602.
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS (top five plus other MU finishers) - 1. Matt VanCleave (KSU), 70-71--141; 2. Carter Collins (GCSU), 71-71--142; 3. (tie), Greg Koch (FSU), 71-72--143 and Ben Scott (MU), 70-73--143; 5. (tie), Juan Bialet (GCSU), 70-75--145 and Gordon Strother (Chattanooga), 75-70--145; T8. Shawn Jasper (MU), 76-74--150; T19. Justin Bliss (MU), 75-76--151 and Trent Twaddle (MU), 76-75--151; T57. John Kelly (MU), 78-80--158.