Missouri
Auburn Tiger Invitational
@MizzouMensGolf Heads To The Auburn Tiger Invitational
3/3/2017 2:27:00 PM | Men's Golf
Tigers looking for second Top 2 finish of spring season
COLUMBIA, Mo. - After an inspired comeback to score a second-place finish at the Suntrust Gator Invitational (Feb. 18-19), Mizzou Men's Golf next heads to the Auburn Tiger Invitational (Sunday, March 5-Tuesday, March 7), hoping to keep its momentum going. As a result of beating ranked opponents like Florida, Florida State and Wake Forest in Gainesville, head coach Mark Leroux's squad has moved inside the top-30 of both the Golfstat (27) and Golfweek rankings (29) for the first time this season.
The Tigers do not have time to catch their breath, though, as the field that awaits them on the Grand National Lake Course in Opelika, Alabama, is another good one. The field includes a ranked host in No. 23 Auburn. The field also features Kennesaw State, James Madison, West Virginia, Charlotte, Troy, Minnesota, UNCW, Georgia State, South Alabama, Maryland, Louisville, UNCG, Mississippi State, Kansas State, Arkansas State, Samford and Davidson.
Leading the Tigers to Opelika is senior Linus Lilliedahl (Sandviken, Sweden), who bounced back nicely from a rough first round 76 to net two even rounds of 70 at the Gator. Lilliedahl notched his fourth top-25 overall finish of the year in the Sunshine State, while placing second among Tiger golfers who traveled. Though it was his highest score of the season in-relation to par, Lilliedahl showcased his resilience and ability to bounce back after a rough start.
Senior Euan Walker (Troon, Scotland) will occupy the second spot for Mizzou. His 33rd overall finish and 54-hole score of 218 at the Gator were both season highs, but that speaks to just how well Walker has been playing during his final season for Leroux's squad. It was the only time this season Walker finished outside the top-20 as an individual, and the first time this season he shot an event over-par (+8). His second round 71 was crucial for the Tigers, though, as they moved up from tenth to second at the Gator during that round, and never looked back.
Though both Walker and Lilliedahl played well in Gainesville, the star of the show for the Tigers was freshman Rory Franssen (Inverness, Scotland), who put on a clinic amongst some of the best golfers in the nation. He set numerous career lows at the event, including his best-ever 54-hole score (205), best score in relation to par (-5), and his best individual finish, as the young Scotsman finished as the individual runner-up. Franssen joined Walker as the only two Mizzou golfers this season to shoot every round of an event und-par, and Franssen accomplished the feat on a par-70 course (69-68-68).
In the fourth slot for Mizzou is junior Hayden Buckley (Belden, Miss.) who shot a 221 at the Gator to tie for 53rd. It appeared that Buckley had found his pre-injury form in Hawaii before the break, but he battled through more adversity in Gainesville. The junior will look to turn it around in Opelika, as a top-form Buckley is a major asset for the Tigers moving forward.
Freshman Matt Echelmeier (Columbia, Mo.) holds down the last spot on the traveling roster for Leroux. The younger Echelmeier has not played competitively for the Black & Gold since October, where he finished tied for 20th during a career-best showing at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate (Oct. 14-16). He finished that event 3-under-par, shooting first and second round 69s, the two best rounds of his career.
Follow the Tigers' action on Twitter (@MizzouMensGolf) and on GolfStat.com.
