University of Missouri
Tiger Invitational
@MizzouMensGolf Comes Home to Old Hawthorne to Host Tiger Invitational
4/9/2017 4:14:00 PM | Men's Golf
Tiger Invitational is first Mizzou Men’s Golf tournament played at Old Hawthorne since 2014
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Men's Golf will compete on their home course for the first time in three seasons, as the Black & Gold will host the Tiger Invitational at The Club at Old Hawthorne Monday, April 10 - Tuesday, April 11. The Tigers also hosted the Turning Stone Intercollegiate during the fall season, but that event was played in Verona, New York.
Coming off the Mason Rudolph Championship (March 31-April 2) in Franklin, Tennessee, where head coach Mark Leroux's group finished tied for fifth, the Tigers will have their sights set on defending their home course and coming away with a tournament championship. In Franklin, the Tigers were one of five teams ranked in the top-30 to compete.
When Mizzou takes the course in Columbia, they will be the highest ranked team competing, and the early favorite. Squads that will compete in the Tiger include Arkansas-Little Rock, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Creighton, Drake, Illinois State, IUPUI, Missouri State, Morehead State, Nicholls State, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, SIUE, South Dakota, South Dakota State, UMKC and Western Illinois.
Leading the Tigers on their home course is senior Euan Walker (Troon, Scotland) who has played well in his last two outings. He has registered back-to-back top-10 finishes in his last two events played, while also shooting the best 18-hole round (67) and tournament score (208) of the season at his most recent outing at the Mason Rudolph, which was especially impressive considering the quick turnaround and the level of competition at the event. In what will be his first home event since his freshman year, Walker will look to go out on top in his final event in Columbia.
Following the senior is junior Hayden Buckley (Belden, Miss.), who stood out at the highly competitive Mason Rudolph Championship. He finished the event at 3-under-par, which placed him 15th. Buckley's 15th-place finish was his third top-15 finish on the season, and it was his third event this year played under-par. Buckley has come to life in the spring, and The Club at Old Hawthorne provides him an opportunity to keep his momentum rolling.
Senior Linus Lilliedahl (Sandviken, Sweden), like Walker, will play the Tiger Invitational knowing it is the last chance to show what he can do on his home course. On Mizzou's recent road trip, Lilliedahl played solid golf, placing 17th at The Hootie at Bulls Bay (March 26-28) and 34th at the Mason Rudolph. Lililedahl pushed his rounds under-par on the season to 11 on the road trip, while his 1-under-par finish at the Hootie pushed his season total to four events played under-par, trailing only Walker in that category.
Freshman Rory Franssen (Inverness, Scotland) and junior Trevor Ullestad (Jewell, Iowa) hold down the fourth and fifth spots for Leroux, respectively. Franssen shot both events over-par after playing both of the spring's first two events under-par. Ullestad returns to the lineup for the first time since the Suntrust Gator Invitational (Feb. 18-19).
Since the event is being hosted in Columbia and by Mizzou, all of Leroux's golfers will get the opportunity to play during the Tiger. Seniors Jacob Fair and Will Echelmeier will get to play one last event at home, while junior Luigi Botta, sophomore Preston Fleenor and freshman Rory Franssen will be auditioning for future events.
Mizzou Men's Golf encourages supporters to come out and watch the Tigers and other schools compete at The Club Old Hawthorne. Rounds One and Two will be played on Monday, with the championship round played on Tuesday. Please be aware of procedure when moving about the course.
For all the latest on Mizzou Men's Golf, stay tuned to MUTigers.com or follow the program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@MizzouMensGolf).
