MONKEY ISLAND, Okla. (April 20, 2021) - Central Missouri Mules Golf led all teams in the final two rounds of the MIAA Championships to claim the title with a 10 stroke lead. Through 54 holes the Mules finished 10 over par shooting 874 for their second consecutive win and fifth first-place finish of the season.
After capping day one of the championships with an eight stroke lead, UCM recorded another round-low score in the final round to secure the win. The Mules shot four over in the opening round with a 292, then recorded the lowest 18-hole total of the tournament in round two at -1, 287. Battling a combination of snow, rain, and near freezing temperatures which halted play in the final round for several hours, UCM pulled through with a round-low score of 295 to win the championships with a 874 total, 10 strokes over par.
This is the Mules first MIAA Championship title since 2015. Central Missouri now has the most MIAA Championship titles in the league with 23.
All five Mules in the championships finished in the top-10. Three Mules tied for third-place at the championships as
Matt Hoemann,
Nick Westrich, and
Ian Barnes each shot a 54-hole total of 219. Barnes led UCM through rounds one and two shooting a 36-hole total of -1, 143. He shot rounds of 70, 73, and 76 to finish three over par. Both Hoemann and Westrich were tied for eighth after shooting 147 through rounds one and two. The pair continued to stay connected through the final round as they both shot an even 72 to join Barnes with a 219 total score.
Finishing in a tie for eighth was
Thomas Henson. Henson recorded scores of 76, 68, and 76 to finished four over at 220. His -4, 68 in round two tied for the lowest 18-hole score of the tournament.
Sam Parrott tied for 10th with a 54-hole total of 223. Parrott shot 74 in both round one and two and finished round three with a 75 to finish the tournament seven over.
Central Missouri led all teams on par four and par five scoring. Westrich individually led the field of 50 golfers on par fives, finishing eight under through 15 par fives. The Mules also led the competition with 56 birdies and recorded the second-most eagles with two. Westrich and Henson each led UCM with 13 birdies while Barnes and Hoemann accounted for the Mules two eagles.
Next up for the Mules is the NCAA Regional Championships beginning on Thursday, May 6th. The three-day championship tournament is being hosted at the Shoal Creek Golf Club in Liberty, Mo.
