Mizzou men’s golf left Muskoka Lakes with a fifth-place finish at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, closing the event Tuesday at 25-over par after a final-round 299.
Senior Veikka Viskari was the headline again for the Tigers. He fired a 1-under 70 in the last round to finish third individually at 4-under par, giving Mizzou a steady anchor in tough conditions.
Viskari’s week had already been built on low numbers. He posted the best score in the field in the second round with a 66, then came back Tuesday with one of the day’s best rounds at 70.
His final round featured an even-par 35 on the front nine and a 1-under 35 on the back, along with two birdies. That gave him back-to-back rounds under par and his fifth career top-five finish.
“We saw some really challenging conditions in Canada this week with the colder weather, high winds and rain. The course played much tougher than what we’ve seen here the last couple of years, so overall I’m happy with how my game held up," Viskari said.
"Being in contention coming down the stretch is always where you want to be and it was nice to post the low round of the day in each of the final two rounds. With that said, it definitely stings to come up just short.”
Junior Trent Mierl also put himself in the top 10, finishing tied for ninth at 2-over par after a 1-over 72 on Tuesday. It was the eighth top-10 individual finish of his career.
The Tigers’ final-round 15-over total left them fifth in the 13-team field. Head coach Glen Millican pointed to the conditions and the way his group battled through them.
"It was a really challenging day today as the course and weather were tough," Head Coach Glen Millican said. "Veikka and Trent played incredible golf and the others hung in there after rough starts. Overall, we handled things well and came away with a good finish."
The rest of Mizzou’s lineup also had to grind through the closing round. Freshman Antoni Hawkins shot 7-over 78 and finished the tournament at 15-over.
Senior Brock Snyder carded an 8-over round and ended at 17-over. Paxton Maxwell finished with a 10-over 81 and tied for 15-over overall, while Andy Yang, competing as an individual, shot 11-over 82 and finished at 24-over.
Viskari said the team’s ability to hang around and still secure a top-five result says something about the group early in the season.
"As a team, we didn’t have our best stuff this week, but being able to grind out a top-five finish when things aren’t going our way is a positive sign this early in the season," Viskari said. "Small wins stack up and we’re looking forward to getting back into action in New Mexico."
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For a player who came out of a small Missouri town, the early return has been encouraging, and the buzz around him has only grown as the staff has watched him develop. Head coach Eliah Drinkwitz has been among the most optimistic voices about Hopkins ceiling, and the next step now is clear: keep stacking progress and see how far that hometown path can go. [Read more 🡒]