April 4, 2005
FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Junior Chris Mabry (Leawood, Kan. / Bishop Miege HS) and sophomore Shawn Jasper (Marthasville, Mo. / Francis Howell North HS / Newman Univ.) both fired school-record-breaking rounds of 8-under-par 63 in the first round of the Belmont Invitational to lead the Tiger men to an historic day Monday at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.
The rounds are two strokes better than the previous lowest single-round score in Missouri history, set four times, most recently by Mark McBride at the 2000 Purina Classic. They also propelled the Tigers to a four-man aggregate team score of 19-under 265, which shattered the team single-round school record set at the 2002 Nestlé Purina Classic by four strokes and the tournament record set last year by Tennessee State by 15 strokes.
The Tigers thoroughly dominated the first day of the tournament at the 7,100-yard, par-71 track outside of Nashville, holding an 18-stroke lead after the first round and building the evening cushion to 21 strokes heading into Tuesday's final round. Mabry and Jasper, who also both shot 1-under-70 in the afternoon, share a three-stroke lead over Tennessee State's Robert Dinwiddie - who held the tournament record of 66 prior to today.
"I'm just so proud of these guys," Head Coach Mark Leroux said. "Before the tournament, I talked to the team about how much they've been working the last couple of weeks, and reminding them the reason they're doing it is to get better. It's easy to get bogged down in the work because it's all you do; they needed a reminder that there's a reason why they're working, and it showed today.
"Chris and Shawn just had a good day today. They would have played well anywhere today. The course played a little longer than normal. I told them it was going to come down to a putting contest, and the worked they put in the practice round paid off."
Not to be forgotten, junior Ben Scott (Lancashire, United Kingdom / St. Theodore's HS) is also in the top 10 following Monday's play after firing rounds of 69 and 71 to sit in a three-way tie for eighth place; sophomore Tyler Dunn (Godfrey, Ill. / Alton HS) is in a tie for 15th place just two strokes back of Scott after shooting 70-72--142; and classmate John Kelly (St. Louis, Mo. / Christian Brothers College HS) is the lone Tiger over par after two rounds following loops of 71 and 73. The final 18 holes will be played on Tuesday.
NOTE: Jasper is the only non-junior on MU's list of low rounds; along with Mabry's 63, the four players who had shot 65's were all juniors: John Sherman in 1982, Stan Utley in 1983, Bret Burroughs in 1984, and McBride.
MIZZOU MEN'S GOLF
at the Belmont Invitational - Franklin, Tenn.
Vanderbilt Legends Club - 7,100 yards / par 71
TEAM STANDINGS THROUGH 36 of 54 HOLES (top five) - Missouri, 265-283--548; 2. Tennessee Tech, 288-281--569; 3. (tie), SEMO, 283-289--572 and Tennessee State, 286-286--572; 5. Morehead State, 292-282--574.
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS (top five plus other MU finishers) - 1. (tie), Chris Mabry and Shawn Jasper (MU), 63-70--133; 3. Robert Dinwiddie (TSU), 66-70--136; 4. (tie), Phillip Watkins (TSU), 72-66--138 and Mark Schmitz (SEMO), 67-71--138; T8. Ben Scott (MU), 69-71--140; T15. Tyler Dunn (MU), 70-72--142; T22. John Kelly (MU), 71-73--144.