The Southeastern Conference is home to the NCAA’s best teams in nearly every sport, and golf is no exception. Thirteen of the 14 teams are ranked in the top 50 nationally, including No. 2 Alabama. Last weekend was the first time the Tigers competed as a member of one of the best golf conferences in the country, in the SEC Championships in Sea Island, Ga.
Despite the competition and tough weather conditions, the No. 32 Tigers bested five ranked opponents and finished in a tie with Vanderbilt for seventh.
The team played consistently, scoring 292, 290 and 293 in each of its three rounds, despite course conditions not being ideal.
“We got the raw end of the deal,” coach Mark Leroux said. “We played early on Saturday, and it was windy and rainy, but by the time the lead groups came out it was dry and clear. The conditions on Sunday were brutal. It was dry, and the greens were fast.”
After being locked in at ninth place for most of the tournament, the Tigers moved up to seventh on the final day after being 13-over-par as a team in round three. The team score of 293 was good enough for fourth best of the day. Junior Hunter Kraus and sophomore Ryan Zech led the way for the Tigers, each shooting a 1-over-par 71 on Sunday. Kraus was the Tigers’ best individual with a 17th place finish.
“Hunter is really coming around and really maturing as a player,” Leroux said. “He is going to be scoring more consistently around par as he goes along in his career, as well as competing for championships.”
The Tigers’ No. 1 and No. 2 golfers, senior Jace Long and junior Emilio Cuartero, ended up being some of the Tigers’ lowest finishers at the end of the weekend. Long finished 17-over-par and didn’t score for the Tigers on the final day of action. Cuartero finished at 11-over-par but did have the team’s best single-round score on Saturday at even-par 70.
“They were trying too hard to lead us to a top two or three finish,” Leroux said. “There’s a lot of pressure when you are a No. 1 or No. 2.”
Missouri’s team score of 35-over-par was better than five ranked conference foes, including No. 9 Florida, the SEC’s second highest ranked team. The Tigers have made a habit of beating ranked opponents this year. At the Hootie at Bull’s Bay Intercollegiate tournament, Missouri defeated six ranked opponents.
“It’s the continuation of the whole year,” Leroux said. “At Hootie at Bull’s Bay, we beat a bunch of good teams. It’s a continued reassurance that we belong in the top 30.”
The next tournament for the Tigers is the NCAA Regional Championships. Missouri appears to be a lock for the regionals with its No. 32 ranking. However, the Tigers will not know their destination for the Regional Championships until May 6 and do not play until May 16. The top five teams from each region advance to the NCAA Championships.
“We’re focused on finishing in the top five of our region,” Leroux said. “Whatever region we’re in, we’re going to be one of the top five teams in this region. If we play well, we will have a chance to advance.”
