Oct. 3, 2004
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri Women's Golf Team continued its record-shattering fall season this weekend at the Mason Rudolph Invitational. Mizzou shot a 291 for the second straight day and registered a school record 882 for the tournament, finishing in fourth place behind Duke (873), UCLA (874) and Georgia (876). The outstanding effort marked the second time Mizzou has broken the team 54-hole total record this season. They shot an 886 at The Lady Northern to begin the fall.
"We are playing with a ton of confidence and we want to continue to challenge the top three every time out," Head Coach Stephanie Cooper said. "Our players are focused and are competing at a high level, which is great to see this early in the year. Playing in a competitive tournament like the Mason Rudolph and playing well is definitely an indicator to our team that we can compete with anyone in the country and we need to continue to build on the foundation we are laying right now."
Tiger junior and Moberly, Mo., native Denise Knaebel tamed the par-72, 6,254-yard Vanderbilt Legends Club on Sunday, shooting a career-best 67 to move into a tie for third with a total of 216 for the tourney. The 67 is just one stroke off of the school record set by senior Maria Ohlsson earlier this year at the Lady Northern and the score of 216 was only two strokes off of the school record for an individual for 54 holes, which was also set by Ohlsson at same tournament.
Knaebel's run to the top three started on Friday, when she shot a 77 and was in 52nd place. However, she improved five strokes in each of the next two rounds on her way to registering her fifth top-three finish of her career and the third top 10 performance in as many tournaments this fall.
After firing rounds of 71 on Friday and 72 on Saturday, senior Maria Ohlsson registered a 75 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 10th place (218). Ohlsson has also made her presence felt in the top 10, finishing first, fourth and tenth in the Tigers' three tournaments so far this fall.
Senior Mindy Bullard (228, T-49), freshman Madde Augustsson (229, T-56th) and junior Kelli Strubinger (230, T-59th) rounded out the Tigers' scoring in the event. Augustsson had a career-best final round of 74 on Sunday. Mizzou has recorded two third place finishes and a fourth place finish during the course of its first three tournaments.
The Tigers will take to the links again at the Lady Razorback Invitational (Oct. 17-19) in Fayetteville, Ark. For more information Missouri Women's Golf, log on to www.mutigers.com.