University of Missouri
Jackrabbit Invitational
Mizzou Men’s Golf Captures First Victory of the Season
9/30/2019 5:01:00 PM | Men's Golf
Steelman shines in first career individual title
Valentine, Neb. – Head coach Mark Leroux captured his 49th career victory, and freshman Ross Steelman (Columbia, Mo.) became the first Mizzou freshman since 2012 to win an individual title as Mizzou Men's Golf won its first tournament of the year at the Par-73 Prairie Club Invitational.
The Tigers' 5-under 871 (294-290-287) bested second place Sam Houston State by 20 strokes. Mizzou went into the final day with a 3-shot lead, but the team's final round 287 (5-under) helped the Tigers pull away from the rest of the competition.
Steelman was sensational for the Tigers. His 8-under 65 in the second round included a remarkable six birdies and two eagles. The 65 marked the 24th individual round of 65 or better in Mizzou's program history and the first of the 2019-20 campaign. He capped off the tournament with a 1-under 72 to finish with a 9-under 210 for the week. Steelman's winning score was six strokes better than the second-place finisher- senior Rory Franssen (Inverness, Scotland).
Franssen notched his fourth career Top-5 finish in Valentine with a three-day score of 216 (3-under). His second round 1-under 72 was particularly special, as it marked his 100th career round as a Missouri Tiger. He has been incredible for Mizzou over the past four years. The Prairie Club Invitational was his 13th career event under par and his eighth career Top-10 performance.
Senior Ricky Sanders (The Hague, Netherlands) also excelled this week, tying for sixth with a 3-over 22. Sanders turned it on in the final round, tallying a birdie on five holes and jumping 16 spots with a 3-under 70.
Freshman Viktor Einarsson (Reykjavik, Iceland) finished just outside the Top-10, tying for 11th- the best finish of his young career. He carded a 224 (5-over) for the tournament.
Junior Jack Parker (Columbia, Mo.) tied for 31st with a 14-over 233.
The Tigers will have next weekend off before returning to action Oct. 11-13 at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate. For all the latest on Mizzou Men's Golf, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team at @MizzouMensGolf (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).
