Second day at state better for Marshall's Mull

Senior Brad Mull closed out his career with the Owls in fine fashion, with a solid round at the state tournament. [Click to enlarge]

SPRINGFIELD -- In golf vernacular, Marshall senior Brad Mull is a "grinder," someone capable of bouncing back from adversity or scoring well even without his "A" game.

That ability served him well during the two days of the MSHSAA Class 3 Championships at Springfield. After a tough opening-round 86 on Monday, Mull posted an 83 Tuesday -- despite two horrific holes -- to finish tied for 61st in a field of 125 golfers.

While that didn't earn Mull all-state status, it did conclude a fine career in which he won two district and a pair of NCMC medals -- and led a resurgence for the Owls, who had not gone to state as a team from '98 until Mull's junior season.

"Brad and this senior class came to Owls golf at a time when we were not overly competitive, but they leave us in much better shape," remarked MHS coach Erek Dusenberry. "His work ethic and leadership will be missed."

Mull hit 12 of 14 fairways, but missed all but two greens on par-72 Rivercut Golf Course during the first round, but -- according to Dusenberry -- "was very positive coming off the course because he knew he was close and after hitting the driver that well he was confident that we could figure out why he was blocking the irons."

That was corrected during the Tuesday morning range session and Mull came out shooting even par through the first four holes. He was in good shape on his lay-up shot on the par-five fifth hole, but then found a greenside bunker on the approach, lost his ball coming out of the sand and after the drop finally recorded a five-over 10.

Mull parred the next hole and finished with a 44 on the front nine. He birdied the 576-yard No. 10, but landed in the rough -- with what Dusenberry described as "a horrible lie" -- and had to take a triple bogey.

Once again, Mull parred the next hole and closed strongly with a three-over 39.

"Brad hit the ball as well or better during this tournament than he had all year coming in," Dusenberry asserted.

Nobody was hitting as well, though, as the boys from Mary Institute/Country Day School in St. Louis. The top two players on the leader board Monday swapped placed during the second round, junior Ross Millman firing an even-par 72 for a two-day tally of 143 and one-stroke edge on sophomore Tyler Johnson.

The Rams, ninth a year ago, sliced 70 points off their score for a 596 -- an outstanding 295 during the second round -- to turn a six-stroke edge over Ozark into a 23-point victory. It was the school's second state title, the previous one coming in 1992.

Hannibal, the only NCMC school in the field, claimed its first-ever state trophy with a third-place finish at 656 -- senior Brian Scott sharing 10th place at 156. Mull finished seventh among the conference's representatives.