As far as days on the course go, Missouri men’s golfer Veikka Viskari’s round Thursday may be hard to beat.
Not only did the Mizzou sophomore from Espoo, Finland, record the best score of the day in his Missouri Amateur Qualifier with a 7-under 64 at The Falls Golf Club in O’Fallon, Missouri, and book his place in the Missouri Amateur Championship field, but Viskari recorded one of the rarest scores in the sport in the process.
Viskari made an albatross at the par-five sixth hole, which measures 524 yards from the back tees. An albatross is three strokes under the designated par for the hole, which means he holed his second shot.
The feat is more rare than a hole-in-one on a par-three, according to an article from the PGA of America, which places the average player’s odds of making an ace at approximately 12,500-1 and the odds of an albatross — a hole-in-one on a par-four or a 2 on a par-five — at 6 million-1.
Viskari was even par for his round stepping onto the sixth tee after recording two birdies and two bogeys in his opening five holes. He closed his outward nine with a bogey at the eighth and birdie at the ninth to turn in 3-under 33 before firing a bogey-free, 4-under 31 on the back nine with four birdies to win the qualifier.
His albatross helped him stave off Fenton’s David Strickland, who posted 65 to finish one shot off the top spot.
Viskari was one of 33 qualifiers from the O’Fallon site to book their spot in the Missouri Amateur Championship, which will take place at MU’s home course, The Club at Old Hawthorne, from June 24-29.
The Missouri Amateur Championship is a 144-player event that includes two rounds of stroke play with a 64-player cut. At that point, the advancing players compete in match play — one-on-one knockouts — until a winner is determined.
Viskari is one of two Mizzou players currently qualified for the event, as sophomore Brock Snyder finished tied for third in his qualifier at Paradise Pointe Golf Course in Smithville, Missouri, with a 2-under 70.
Tolton grad and Columbia local Andrew Fallis, a current Missouri State player, also qualified for the event, posting an even-par 72 to tie for fifth at a qualifier at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, Missouri.
Viskari recently wrapped up his sophomore season, which was his first in Columbia after transferring from VCU. He had a 73.58 scoring average over 12 tournaments for head coach Glen Millican’s team.
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