University of Missouri
SEC Championships
@MizzouMensGolf Tees Off Postseason at SEC Championships
4/24/2018 3:01:00 PM | Men's Golf
Action begins Wednesday in Sea Island, Georgia
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men's Golf is coming off one of the strongest regular season performances in the program's history. The 2017-18 campaign featured three team championships and two other Top-5 finishes. Head coach Mark Leroux's squad also broke records this season, setting school marks for the lowest single round team score (270) and the lowest tournament team score (824). However, the Tigers turn their focus toward the SEC Tournament, which features eight ranked teams in a 14-team field. The SEC Championships runs April 25-29 at the Sea Island Golf Club in Sea Island, Georgia.
As usual, the field at the SEC Championship is extremely stout and includes No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 6 Alabama, No. 8 Auburn, No. 9 Florida, No. 10 LSU, No. 17 Arkansas and No. 21 Kentucky. To advance past round one, the Tigers will need to be in the top eight, meaning they will have to knock off at least one ranked SEC foe.
In the number one slot is senior Hayden Buckley (Belden, Miss.), who is coming off of his fourth individual championship in his last regular season event. Buckley won the Missouri Tiger Invitational by five strokes, shooting a 204 on his home course, including a first-round 65, which was capped by an eagle on his final hole of the round. Buckley has been special for the Black & Gold all year, and remains on several watch lists for the best collegiate golfer in the country. Buckley's 69.44 strokes-per-round average is good for seventh best nationally, and his 5.15 subpar strokes-per-round average ranks third. The senior played fairly well at the SEC Championships a season ago, registering a 16th place finish. As the highest rated individual golfer in the conference according to Golfstat.com, Buckley looks to have a major impact on the tournament.
Freshman Jamie Stewart (Renfrewshire, Scotland) closed his inaugural campaign strong, leading the Tigers with his 14th place finish at the Hootie at Bulls Bay, and trailed only Buckley at the Missouri Tiger Invitational, taking second behind the 209 he shot at the event. Stewart closed his regular season with 13 rounds-under-par, which trails only Buckley and sophomore Rory Franssen (Inverness, Scotland).
The aforementioned Franssen holds down the third spot in Leroux's competitive lineup. Much like his Scottish counterpart Stewart, Franssen has been hot coming down the regular season's final stretch. His 15 rounds-under-par ranks second on the squad, and though he played the Missouri Tiger Invitational as an unattached individual, Franssen's 212 was good enough for eighth place. The sophomore will be looking to repeat his performance from last year's SEC Championship, where he led the Black & Gold with a 13th place finish, shooting at even par for the tournament before match play (68-71-71—210).
Junior Matt Echelmeier (Columbia, Mo.) is in the fourth slot for Mizzou, and had a solid tournament on the course at Old Hawthorne. Like Franssen, Echelmeier played as an individual, and he also registered a Top-10 finish, tying for ninth with his three-round 213. Echelmeier will be returning to the Sea Island Golf Club for the first time since his freshman season, when he shot a +18. He enters the SEC Championship with momentum this time though, earning three Top-25 finishes in his last four events played.
Rounding out the competitive lineup for the Tigers is senior Trevor Ullestad (Jewell, Iowa), who closed the regular season playing some of the best golf of his career. He tied for ninth at the Missouri Tiger Invitational (-3), and also registered a Top-20 finish at the GCU Invitational, shooting a one-under-par.
Freshman Jack Parker (Columbia, Mo.) will travel as an alternate.
For all the latest on Mizzou Men's Golf, stay tuned to MUTigers.com or follow the program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@MizzouMensGolf).
