In Missouri men’s golf’s three previous events this spring, Tommy Boone had been involved only as an individual, thus unable to use his scores for its team scores.

In five of the nine rounds in those events, Missouri’s team total was hurt by his exclusion. In Round 1 of the spring’s fourth event Sunday, no player in the field beat him.

With Boone in the starting five for the first time in the spring, the Tigers put up their lowest to-par team total of the year, led by his 4-under-par 68 in round one of the Hootie Intercollegiate at Bulls Bay in Awendaw, South Carolina.

Missouri sits second place in the 16-team event after a first-round team total of 6 under for 282 at Bulls Bay Golf Club. It’s the second time it has put up an under-par round total in an event this spring and also its lowest end-of-day place on the leaderboard. Missouri trails leader Kent State by four strokes.

Boone’s scorecard was nearly flawless. He made the turn in 1-under with two birdies and one bogey. On the inward nine, he posted a 3-under 34, making an eagle and a birdie on the par-5 5th and 7th holes, in addition to seven pars.

His 68 puts him in a tie for the lead on the individual leaderboard, alongside Jamie Wilson of South Carolina, Cade Breitenstine of Kent State and Andrew Kozan of Auburn.

Hot on Boone’s heels for the Tigers is their scoring-average leader for the season, Ross Steelman. He posted a first-round 3-under 69 for his seventh sub-70 round of the season and will enter the second round tied for fifth and one stroke back on the individual leaderboard.

Rory Franssen and Walker Kesterson were Missouri’s third and fourth scores after recording an even-par 72 and 1-over 73, respectively. Kesterson’s 73 marks the lowest to-par fourth score Missouri has used this year.

Yu Ta Tsai was the Tigers’ drop score Sunday with a 5-over 77. Viktor Einarsson competed as an individual for MU. His 4-over 76 would not have impacted its team total had he been included.