University of Missouri
Tiger Invitational
@MizzouMensGolf Set to Host Third Annual Tiger Invitational April 8-9
4/7/2019 3:38:00 PM | Men's Golf
The Tigers tee off at The Club at Old Hawthorne at 8 a.m. CT on Monday
COLUMBIA, Mo. – For the third consecutive year, Mizzou Men's Golf will welcome a plethora of collegiate squads from across the nation to the Club at Old Hawthorne as the program hosts its annual Tiger Invitational, April 8-9. The Black & Gold has found great success at the Tiger Invite the past two years, winning both tournaments by a combined 29 strokes while also nabbing four of the top-10 individual finishes in 2017 and six of the top-10 individual finishes last year.
Former Tiger Linus Lilliedahl's first-place victory at the inaugural Tiger Invitational in 2017 was followed up by another strong first-place finish by Tiger senior Hayden Buckley in the competition's second year.
Fifteen teams comprise this year's field at the Tiger, including tournament newcomers TCU and in-state rival Missouri State. Squads such as Drake, Illinois State and Kansas State, among many others, are returning to the Club at Old Hawthorne for the second or third straight year.
Mizzou will seek its third Tiger Invitational title in just as many years, as the competition will once again serve as the conclusion to the Black & Gold's regular season before postseason play begins.
On a tear throughout much of the early spring, the Tigers brought home a fourth-place finish at the prestigious Hootie at Bulls Bay tournament in Awendaw, S.C. a couple weeks ago, defeating five teams ranked in the Top-50 nationally, including No. 4 Duke. Junior Rory Franssen (Inverness, Scotland) led the Tigers, as he posted one of the most dominant outings of his career in South Carolina. After firing a 10-under par 206 and carding three consecutive rounds under par to secure a second-place finish at the Hootie, the Scotland native earned his first career Southeastern Conference Golfer of the Week honor on March 27.
Franssen's incredible week at the Hootie began with a career-low 67 in the tournament's opening round and was followed by a 69 and a 70 in rounds two and three, respectively. The junior has now shot under par in 13 total rounds this season, just four rounds shy of tying his career best mark he set as a sophomore. Franssen will spearhead the Tigers' effort in defending their home course at the Tiger Invitational as the top golfer in Mizzou's lineup.
Senior Matt Echelmeier (Columbia, Mo.) will hold down the second spot in the lineup for head coach Mark Leroux's squad this week. For the first time in his career, the Columbia native will be featured in his team's competitive lineup at the Tiger Invitational. Echelmeier has fared well at the tournament as an individual competitor in the past, finishing in fourth place in 2017 and tying for ninth place the following year.
The hometown senior's final go-around as a Tiger has been his best, as he has registered career bests in lowest 18-hole score (66 at the GCU Invitational) and total rounds under par (14), while also collecting a top-five finish at the team's first tournament of the year, the Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate.
Seeking to conclude his record-breaking regular season on a high note at the Tiger, sophomore Jamie Stewart (Renfrewshire, Scotland) slots the third spot in the Black & Gold's lineup. The young Tiger leads the team with his 70.7 strokes-per-round average. His remarkable sophomore campaign also includes two top-five finishes, a career low 18-hole score (64) and five events completed under par.
Following Stewart, junior Ricky Sanders (The Hague, Netherlands) will make his Tiger Invitational debut in the fourth slot for Mizzou. Sanders' best showing in his first season as a Tiger came in October at the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational, in which he shot a 54-hole score 210 (75-68-67) and finished tied for 17th place.
Redshirt senior Luigi Botta (Cueno, Italy) will serve as the Tigers' fifth and final golfer in the team's competitive lineup. Similar to Echelmeier, Botta will get to play his final regular season event of his collegiate career on his home course. Mizzou's Tommy Boone and Jack Parker will also compete as individuals at the Tiger Invitational.
Mizzou fans are invited out to the Club at Old Hawthorne to watch the Tigers play. Rounds one and two will be played on Monday, April 8, and the tournament's final round will be played on Tuesday, April 9. Round one will tee off at 8 a.m. on Monday, Round Two will immediately follow, and round three is set to tee off at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
For all the latest on Mizzou Men's Golf, stay tuned to MUTigers.com or follow the program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@MizzouMensGolf).
