Chris Mabry smashed Mizzou's 18- and 54-hole records en route to the Tigers' second individual title of the spring.Chris Mabry smashed Mizzou's 18- and 54-hole records en route to the Tigers' second individual title of the spring.
Men's Golf

Mabry, Mizzou Cruise to Titles at Belmont Invitational

April 5, 2005

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FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Junior Chris Mabry (Leawood, Kan. / Bishop Miege HS) carded a 5-under-par 66 to edge sophomore teammate Shawn Jasper (Marthasville, Mo. / Francis Howell HS / Newman Univ.) for medalist honors, and the Missouri men cruised to a 35-stroke victory at the Belmont Invitational, held Tuesday at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.

A total of 11 school or tournament records were broken by the Tigers in Tennessee. Mabry and Jasper jointly began the record run by both firing school- and tournament-record 8-under-par 63's in Monday's first round. That led to a Monday morning team total of 19-under 265, which also broke school and tournament marks.

Mabry's round today broke the tournament record for a third-round finish, and also allowed him to complete his tournament individually at 14-under 199 to break both the tournament at Missouri school record by five strokes. It is Mizzou's second medalist honor this spring; junior Ben Scott (Lancashire, United Kingdom / St. Theodore's HS) won the individual title at the Matlock Invitational in Lakeland, Fla., Feb. 14-15.

It is the first time since 1982-83 that two different Tigers have won individual titles in the same season, and the first time for two titles in the same season overall since All-American and current volunteer assistant Stan Utley won twice in the fall of 1983. Utley had previously held the 54-hole record with Bret Burroughs (1984) and those two had shared the 18-hole record of 65 along with John Sherman (1982) and Mark McBride (2000).

The team score of 28-under 824 smashes the previous school record of 838 set at the All-College Classic in 1984. The Tigers were the only team under par for the tournament, finishing a whopping 35 strokes ahead of Tennessee Tech. As a show of their domination, only one of the Tigers' 12 scoring rounds (the top four out of five scores are counted toward the team total each round) above par the entire tournament.

Finally, the tournament win is the first for the Tigers since the fall of 2003, when they captured a rain-shortened Jim Colbert Intercollegiate in Manhattan, Kan. It is also Mizzou's first spring-season title since winning the 1995 Legends.

"We're like a 747 flying into Motown headquarters - we've got records breaking everywhere," Head Coach Mark Leroux said. "I'm just excited and real proud of these guys. They played together. It might be two tournaments early (the Big 12 Championships are April 29-May 1 in Trinity, Texas), but they did it. We'll try and take some notes so they remember how they did it."

Jasper put together his best three rounds of the season and to finish second, four strokes back of Mabry and six strokes clear of Tennessee State's Robert Dinwiddie and Southeast Missouri's Mark Schmitz for his third top-10 finish of the season. Scott closed with a 70 to finish in fifth, his second straight top-10 placing and fifth overall; sophomore Tyler Dunn (Godfrey, Ill. / Alton HS) had MU's third 1-under 70 of the day to his first-ever top-10 showing; and sophomore John Kelly (St. Louis, Mo. / Christian Brothers College HS) closed with a 75 to tie for 27th.

"It feels good winning as a team and individually," said Mabry, who had six birdies and a closing eagle for his 63 on Monday. "I'm glad we're finally all playing weel. We have enough talent, but it's finally happening, and good to see. "I had a lot of tap-ins this whole week, hit it really well and putted well. It all came together."

The Tigers resume play next weekend at the Boilermaker Invitational in West Lafayette, Ind.

MIZZOU MEN'S GOLF
at the Belmont Invitational - Franklin, Tenn.
Vanderbilt Legends Club - 7,100 yards / par 71

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (top five) - 1. Missouri, 265-283-276--824; 2. Tennessee Tech, 288-281-290--859; 3. (tie), Morehead State, 292-282-292--866 and SEMO, 283-289-294--866; 5. Troy, 287-292-291--870; Tennessee State, 286-286-298--870.

FINAL INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS (top five plus other MU finishers) - 1. Chris Mabry (MU), 63-70-66--199; 2. Shawn Jasper (MU), 63-70-70--203; 3. (tie), Robert Dinwiddie (TSU), 66-70-73--209 and Mark Schmitz (SEMO), 67-71-71--209; 5. Ben Scott (MU), 69-71-70--210; 7. Tyler Dunn (MU), 70-72-70--212; T27. John Kelly (MU), 71-73-75--219.