June 2, 2005

Results

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Buoyed by a 4-under-par 66 from sophomore Shawn Jasper (Marthasville, Mo. / Francis Howell HS / Newman Univ.), the University of Missouri men's golf team is poised to make a run at the cut line following Thursday's second-round action at the 108th NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships at Caves Valley Golf Club.

Jasper began his day in a tie for 49th place, but quickly moved up the leaderboard with birdies on the first, second, fourth and fifth holes. He added another at the 10th, and when he birdied the par-3 12th, he became the first player in the field to get as low as 6-under at any point in a round these first two days. He gave strokes back with bogeys on 14 and 16, but finished with the best single-round score on record by a Tiger in NCAA play.

His 66 is two strokes better than a 68 that Stan Utley - now MU's volunteer coach - posted in the 1984 NCAA finals. Jasper now stands in a tie for fifth place halfway through the four-round tournament after firing the field's best round on Thursday.

"Today went really well. I hit the ball fairly well for most of the round, but I really putted well. I was making birdies, so it was fun," Jasper said. "Every time I had a putt today it seemed like it was uphill; I was definitely in better position today. I had that rough stretch of three or four holes, but I parred in and held it together the best I could. We'll try to keep it going for tomorrow."

As a squad, Mizzou has moved up from its last-place positioning entering Thursday's play into 22nd place following a four-man aggregate team score of 6-over-286. That number was the sixth-best total posted on Thursday, and moves the Tigers - who are making their first NCAA Nationals appearance since 1986 - to 26-over as a team, just five shots off Friday's cut line. The top 15 teams after the third round of play will advance to Saturday's fourth and final round.

"Today obviously went much better than yesterday. I think they just weren't happy with how they played, so they collectively decided to go out and do better today," first-year Head Coach Mark Leroux said. "They've fought their way back into the mix to make the cut, and one more round like this will do that. They really deserve to play on Saturday, and I hope they get the chance."

Each of Leroux's five charges Thursday bettered his round from the day before, led by the six-shot improvements from Jasper and junior Ben Scott (Lancashire, United Kingdom / St. Theodore's HS). A day after shooting an 81, Scott rebounded with a 75 to stand in a tie for 148th place.

Chris Mabry sank this par putt en route to a 2-over 72 Thursday.

Sophomore John Kelly (St. Louis, Mo. / Christian Brothers College HS) and junior Chris Mabry (Leawood, Kan. / Bishop Miege HS) are tied for 70th place at 7-over 147 following rounds of 73 and 72, respectively. Sophomore Trent Twaddle (Maryville, Mo. / Maryville HS) improved three strokes from his opening round to shoot a 6-over 76 on Thursday. He is tied for 143rd place.

Georgia has extended its lead in the team competition to nine strokes over Tennessee, and is the only school under par (-2) halfway through the tournament. Pepperdine's Michael Putnam, one of six individuals competing without their teams this week, leads the field at 6-under 134 after carding a second-straight 67. He holds a one-stroke lead over first-day co-leader Major Manning of Augusta State.

For Friday's third round, Mizzou will join San Diego State and Stanford on the 10th tee at 12:45 p.m. EDT in their quest to make the 54-hole cut.