March 7, 2005
LAFAYETTE, La. - Missouri junior Ben Scott (Lancashire, United Kingdom / St. Theodore's HS) is continuing his solid play this spring, as a four-under-par 68 has him in the lead after the first day of the Louisiana Classics at Oakbourne Country Club.
Scott leads the 83-player field after a thunderstorm-shortened first day, which forced play to be suspended after 17 holes, and then halted after the teams were able to complete their entire first round. The Tigers were at even par as a team through 17 holes, then suffered double bogeys on three of the five players' scorecards on the final hole when play resumed. That puts Missouri in a four-way tie for fourth place at 4-over 292 with Kansas, Texas Tech and Louisville.
The tournament has been reduced to two rounds, which will conclude with the final 18 holes Tuesday morning. Scott's 68 is his lowest of the year, and stands a stroke clear of Kansas' Tyler Docking, North Texas' Anthony Broussard, and Ryan Yip of Kent State.
"Ben played well; he was really in control of his golf ball. Ben's consistently been our top performer, and it's apparent that he's separating himself from the rest of the group," Head Coach Mark Leroux. "Chris Mabry is heading in that direction, too. The team kind of had it going there, and just let it slip on that last hole."
Junior Chris Mabry (Leawood, Kan. / Bishop Miege HS) is in a 10-way tie for 13th place, and just a stroke out of the top 10, with an even-par 72. A trio of sophomores round out the Missouri scoring: John Kelly (St. Louis, Mo. / Christian Brothers College HS) is in a tie for 42nd after a 75; Michael Unger (Edmond, Okla. / Edmond North HS) is in a tie for 57th following a 77; and Beau Crawford (La Plata, Mo. / Kirksville HS) is a stroke back of him in 63rd.
Play will conclude with a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start Tuesday morning.
MIZZOU MEN'S GOLF
at the Louisiana Classics - Lafayette, La.
Oakbourne CC - 7,002 yards / par 72
TEAM STANDINGS (top five through 18 of 36 holes) - 1. Tulsa, 284; 2. SMU, 287; 3. Kent State, 291; 4. (tie), Kansas, Texas Tech, MIZZOU and Louisville, 292.
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS (top five plus other MU finishers) - 1. Ben Scott (MU), 68; 2. (tie), Tyler Docking (KU), Anthony Broussard (North Texas), and Ryan Yip (Kent State), 69; 5. Austin Hackett (Tulsa), 70; T13. Chris Mabry (MU), 72; T42. John Kelly (MU), 75; T57. Michael Unger (MU), 77; T63. Beau Crawford (MU), 78.