@MizzouMensGolf Aims For Postseason As Spring Begins
2/12/2018 7:19:00 PM | Men's Golf
Hayden Buckley leads the way following a record-breaking fall season
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Men's Golf is coming off its best fall season in recent memory, and are ranked 17th nationally according to GolfWeek. The Tigers, led by head coach Mark Leroux, must backup the early successes and added attention with the same consistent, steady play that has become a staple for Mizzou this season. Leroux's squad of seasoned veterans and savvy newcomers has the makeup to accomplish that task.
In the fall, the Tigers placed in the top six in all four of the events they competed in, including a fourth-place finish at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate, a third-place finish at the Warrior Invitational, and their sixth-straight Turning Stone Intercollegiate team championship. The Tigers also have the third-lowest scoring average in the nation so far this season, according to GolfStat.com.
As solid as the team played in the fall, the spring season carries more weight, as postseason play is mostly determined by team performance down the stretch, including how well the Black & Gold can perform at the SEC Championship. Head coach Mark Leroux's Tigers will have plenty of time to get right before then, as the team plays in five tournaments filled with elite-level competition before the postseason begins.
The squad is in good hands for the Spring, as senior Hayden Buckley (Belden, Miss.) might just be having the greatest start to a single season in the history of the Mizzou Men's Golf program. Buckley won two individual championships during the fall season, taking first at both the Turning Stone-Intercollegiate and the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate, while finishing as the runner-up at the Warrior Invitational. Buckley is currently ranked as the third-best golfer in the country according to Golfstat.com, averaging 68.2 strokes-per-round. On top of it all, Buckley now holds the school record for both the best single-round score and the best tournament score, shooting a 61 in Round Two of the Warrior Invitational and a remarkable 197 over the course of that same tournament.
The freshman duo of Jack Parker (Columbia, Mo.) and Jamie Stewart (Renfrewshire, Scotland) both closed 2017 out strong at the Warrior. Parker shot a 210 over the event, the best of tournament score his career, and placed tied for 23rd, which was also a career-best. Stewart, meanwhile, shot a 205, the best round by anyone on the squad other than Buckley so far this year. The 205, and the 65 he shot in the first round, were also career bests for Stewart. The freshmen duo ranks seventh nationally for freshman class impact, according to Golfstat.com, and must continue to play well for Mizzou to realize its postseason aspirations.
Sophomore Rory Franssen (Inverness, Scotland) showed promise throughout the fall season. Franssen slowly got rolling a season ago as he lit up the competition during the spring of 2017, and hopes to repeat that kind of performance as the second half of this season tees off. His 71.5 strokes-per-round average is third on the team, and the sophomore finished second at the Turning Stone-Tiger Intercollegiate back in September, the second runner-up finish of his young career.
Though the top of Mizzou's lineup is on the younger side, Leroux has two steady veterans to lean on this spring in junior Matt Echelmeier (Columbia, Mo.) and senior Trevor Ullestad (Jewell, Iowa).
Though he played as an individual at the Warrior Invitational to close out the fall season, Echelmeier had his second-best showing of the season, shooting a two-under-par, which would've placed him tied for 46th overall. The Columbia, Missouri, native also played well at the Jackrabbit Invitational, placing tied for 11th overall. He played a 209 at the event, which was the best 54-hole score of his career. Echelmeier is the only golfer besides Buckley to lead the team at an event this season.
After not playing since the Turning Stone in September, Ullestad earned the fifth and final competitive slot in the Tigers' lineup for the Warrior Invitational. Ullestad shot a 218 in Hawaii, placing him tied for 72nd. Ullestad played in seven events for Mizzou as a junior in 2016-17, including the SEC Championship, so experience and perspective is not lacking for the elder Tiger.
Leroux's group hits the links this weekend at the SunTrust Gator Invitational (Feb. 17-18) in Gainesville, Florida. Stay up-to-date with the Tigers' whereabouts and results on MUTigers.com and on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (@MizzouMensGolf).
