Paz Sets Mizzou Record Day One at SEC Championship
4/22/2026 3:00:00 PM | Men's Golf
Senior Virgilio Paz is off to a hot start at the 2026 SEC Men's Golf Championship, setting the Mizzou record for a conference championship with an opening-round 64.
Paz sits second overall in the 80-golfer field with his six-under 64. He birdied three of his first six holes to get off a strong start and finished with six overall – against zero bogeys – to finish the first day among the leaders.
Overall, Paz's score of 64 is the lowest tally for a Tiger at any conference tournament, dating back to the 1935 Big Six Championship. The previous standard was set by Charlie Crockett when he carded a four-under 66 at the 2023 SEC Championship. Paz also recorded his collegiate-low round – topping his 65 from two weeks ago at the Tiger Intercollegiate.
As a team, the Tigers finished the opening round in 10th place with a score of -5 – just three strokes back of the top eight and advancing to the match play rounds. Mizzou is tied with LSU – the eighth-ranked team in the nation – at -5, while also finishing ahead of four schools in the top 25 in the country.
The team's 275 combined score is also the second-best mark for the Tigers at a conference championship, finishing just one stroke shy of the current mark of 274, set in the third round at the 2014 SEC Championship.
Junior Veikka Viskari and freshman Esteban Cruz Bonilla are tied for second on the team and 31st overall in the field with a one-under 69 – both tallying two birdies to go with one bogey. Sophomore Trent Mierl and junior Brock Snyder rounded out the scoring for Mizzou on day one with scores of 73 and 74, respectively.
The Tigers continue their quest for an SEC Championship on Thursday morning, teeing off on the first hole, starting at 8:15 a.m. CT.
Players Mentioned
