Men’s Golf Sweeps Tiger Intercollegiate Titles
4/7/2026 4:22:00 PM | Men's Golf
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Mizzou men's golf team swept through the 2026 Tiger Intercollegiate at The Club at Old Hawthorne, claiming both the team and individual crowns on Tuesday.
Junior Veikka Viskari led the Tigers to win his first collegiate individual championship, carding a score of six-under (68-65-71) to win the title by two strokes. As a team, Missouri placed first with a score of seven-under, finishing seven shots ahead of runner-up Iowa State.
After carding a five-under 65 to take a lead after two rounds, Viskari finished the third strong to claim the individual crown. Trailing by one stroke with seven holes remaining, the junior birdied the third and fifth to move in front and didn't give it back – finishing two strokes ahead of second place Alvaro Pastor of Tarleton State. Overall, Viskari collected 11 birdies against five bogeys for the final six-under tally.
"It feels awesome to win," Viskari said. "There's been a lot of close calls in my three years of college, so to finally get over that line feels amazing and even more special to do it at home. I'm thankful for my teammates, my coaches and my parents for making the trip here to support me during the week."
Sitting in a tie for fourth-place as a team after the first 18 holes, the Tigers used a tournament-low nine-under second round to enter the final 18 with a five-shot advantage over the rest of the field at 10-under. Starting on the challenging back nine, Iowa State was able to momentarily move in front by a stroke before the Tigers made their final push for victory. Mizzou would add five birdies before its next bogey en route to the seven-stroke victory.
"It was great to see our guys win as a team and for Veikka to claim the individual win," said Mizzou head coach Glen Millican. "We couldn't have had a better result. I think we have had a tough time in the last few events, so for it to all come together, I couldn't be happier. I think, other than Veikka winning, a huge highlight was Esteban playing so well and we really had every player step up at some point this week.
"I'm really proud of the guys and it was an awesome performance. It's great to get the win at home and see the guys who have been working hard, have it all come together. Especially now, heading into the conference championship."
Mizzou was the only team that finished under par at -7, while Iowa State (E), Saint Mary's (+5), Xavier (+7) and No. 39 Kansas (+8) rounded out the top five.
Overall, four Tigers placed in the top 10 in the 100-golfer field. Freshman Esteban Cruz Bonilla recorded the best tournament of his young career, placing third with a score of three-under. The rookie opened with a career-best 66 before following up with a 71 and 70 for his first collegiate top five.
Senior Virgilio Paz and sophomore Trent Mierl also finished in the top 10, placing ninth at +1. Brock Snyder and Bubba Chapman recorded top-25 finishes, placing 16th at +3 and 24th at +5, respectively.
Mizzou returns to action in two weeks, competing at the SEC Championship in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Schools are set to tee off Wednesday, April 22.
Players Mentioned
