April 4, 2004
Date: 4/4/04 Contact: Sam Fleury, Athletic Media Relations, (573) 884-2437
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's golf squad picked up its second win of the year on Sunday, as they cruised to a 13 stroke win at the Indiana Invitational. Mizzou was outstanding in the final day, firing a team-total of 296 at the par-74, 6034-yard Indiana University Golf Course and finished the tournament with a total of 908. Four Tigers shot 76 or better and two players shot below par on the day on Sunday. MU was second heading into the final round and head coach Stephanie Cooper said she was extremely pleased with the way Mizzou closed the door on the rest of the field on Sunday, despite the cold and blustery conditions.
"I thought our focus through the elements was remarkable today. Winning a tournament like this gives us the belief that we can finish a tournament strong. We are going to be able to do that day-in, day-out if we put our minds to it. When you get four decent scores on any given day, your going to be competitive with a lot of teams and I think what it tells us is that we can play with anyone in our conference. That's what I want our kids to believe, I want them to believe that they can win every tournament if they focus."
The Tigers got great performances from several people on Sunday, including sophomores Denise Knaebel and Kelli Strubinger. Knaebel was Mizzou's top individual finisher, grabbing a second place finish with a score of 223. She fired two rounds of par or better on the weekend and recorded her fifth Top 10 finish in nine tournaments played so far this year.
"We knew the conditions were going to be tough today, but we went out there and ground it out and took care of business." Knaebel said. "We finally pulled it all together and I think it's a big boost for the team, confidence-wise heading into the Big 12 Conference Championships because we all finished strong."
Strubinger was also outstanding, shooting a three-under par 71 in the final round, equaling the lowest score by any competitor on Sunday. She finished the tournament in fourth place with a total of 224, the best finish of her young career and the second lowest score she has put up during her two years at Mizzou.
"For Kelli to play as well and as confidence as she did this week was really great to see," Cooper said. "She has had some ups and downs with her game so for her to have this tournament is awesome for her confidence heading into Big 12's."
Juniors Mindy Bullard and Maria Ohlsson also both had fine outings on Sunday. Bullard shot her best round of the spring with a one-under par 73, leaving her alone in 12th place with a three-round total of 231. She has now finished 12th in each of the last two tournaments firing identical scores of 231. Ohlsson was solid on the day, firing a 76 and finishing in a tie for 14th with a three-round total of 233. Ohlsson has finished in the top 15 in each of the last three tournaments.
The Tigers have finished in the top three in seven of the nine tournaments they have played in including six of their last seven outings. Up next will be the Big 12 Conference Championships in College Station, Texas, on Apr. 23-25. The Tigers finished second by a single stroke at last year's Championships behind three-time defending champions Oklahoma State at the Country Club of Missouri. Live scoring will be provided at www.mutigers.com. For more information on Mizzou Athletics, log on to the home of the Tigers on the web, www.mutigers.com.