April 29, 2005

TRINITY, Texas - The Missouri men's golf team is the story of the first day of the Big 12 Conference Championships, as the ninth-seeded Tigers are in third place following the first of three rounds Friday at Whispering Pines Golf Club. It is Mizzou's best end-of-round placing at any point in the nine-year history of the league's tournament, surpassing a fourth-place standing after the first round of the 2002 Championships.

Under the direction of first-year Head Coach Mark Leroux, Missouri's four-man aggregate total of 7-over-par 295 is its second-best opening round score in the nine years of the championships, behind only a 293 posted in the first round of the same 2002 tournament at Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, Kan. The Tigers finished that tournament in fifth - the only time Missouri has placed higher than eighth.

The morning started out well for the Tigers, who began on the back nine of the 7,330-yard Jack Nicklaus design, as both sophomore Trent Twaddle (Maryville, Mo. / Maryville HS) and junior Chris Mabry (Leawood, Kan. / Bishop Miege HS) birdied their first hole. Holes 16-18 took their toll on the entire squad, though, as the Tiger quintet were a combined 6-over-par, putting Missouri collectively at 10-over for their first nine holes.

Mizzou closed well on the front side of the course, though, as the team posted 10 birdies and just two "others" to finish 3-over for the final nine. Sophomore Shawn Jasper (Marthasville, Mo. / Francis Howell HS / Newman Univ.) had three birdies without a bogey on the front, and junior Ben Scott (Lancashire, United Kingdom / St. Theodore's HS) had consecutive birdies on the third, fourth and fifth holes.

Jasper and Scott are pacing the Tigers through the first round, as both shot rounds of 1-under 71 to stand in a tie for seventh. Jasper started his round with a double-bogey and a bogey, and didn't give up a stroke the rest of the way while posting birdies on the 12th, second, fifth and seventh holes. Scott was 2-over through his first seven before getting a stroke back at the 17th hole, and then getting to 2-under after his birdie binge on the front side. He bogeyed the ninth hole to drop back to 1-under.

Mabry is in a tie for 18th place following an opening 75; he had only nine pars after registering four birdies, three bogeys and a pair of double-bogeys. Sophomore John Kelly (St. Louis, Mo. / Christian Brothers College HS) bogeyed his last three holes to finish at 6-over 78, where he stands in a tie for 38th place along with Twaddle.

When asked about the course giving up strokes to the entire field on some holes, and taking them back on others, Leroux said, "We kind of stumbled there on 7 and 8. The same thing happened at Purdue - that's when happens when you get on a real course. It's all about course architecture. There are a few holes you're supposed to birdie, and a few you're supposed to bogey, and that's OK."

Oklahoma State has staked itself to a five-stroke lead following an impressive team score of 3-under 285. The Tigers are 10 strokes behind the Cowboys, five behind Oklahoma and four ahead of fourth-place Texas Tech. In addition, Mizzou enters the second round nine strokes ahead of rival Kansas; the higher-placed team at the conclusion of the Championships will earn three points for its school in the annual Border Showdown standings, presented by the Midwest Ford Dealers.

Mizzou will be paired with OSU and OU for the second round, which begins for those three teams at 8:50 a.m. from the first tee. Leroux commented, "It's always good to be in the lead group. I know our guys are looking forward to the challenge. They deserve to be playing with the best players in the conference. After tomorrow, they're going to be saying Mizzou's for real."

Baylor's Jeremy Alcorn leads the individual competition through the first round after firing a 5-under 67 to hold a one-stroke advantage over OU's Justin Fraley and OSU's Tyler Leon.

Live scoring is available for the tournament online at this location.

MIZZOU MEN'S GOLF
at the Ninth Big 12 Conference Championships - Trinity, Texas
Whispering Pines Golf Club - 7,330 yards / par 72

TEAM STANDINGS (Through 18 of 54 holes)

Pl. Team Par 1st
1. Oklahoma State -3 285
2. Oklahoma +2 290
3. Missouri +7 295
4. Texas Tech +11 299
5. Iowa State +14 302
6. Nebraska +15 303
 Texas A&M +15 303
 Baylor +15 303
9. Kansas +16 304
10. Kansas State +20 308
11. Texas +23 311
 Colorado +23 311

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS (top 10 plus other MU finishers)

Pl. Player (TM) Par 1st
1. Jeremy Alcorn (BU) -5 67
2. Justin Fraley (OU) -4 68
 Tyler Leon (OSU) -4 68
4. Anthony Kim (OU) -3 69
5. Alex Noren (OSU) -2 70
 Matt VanCleave (KSU) -2 70
7. Shawn Jasper (MU) -1 71
 Ben Scott (MU) -1 71
 Joe Cermak (ISU) -1 71
 Chase Thomas (BU) -1 71
T18. Chris Mabry (MU) +3 75
T38. John Kelly (MU) +6 78
 Trent Twaddle (MU) +6 78