Former Eldon High School golf standout Matt Miller added another piece of hardware to his trophy case, winning the MIAA individual title at the MIAA Golf Championships April 18-19 at Tiffany Greens Golf Club in Kansas City.

Miller a senior at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, fired a three-round total of 3-under-par 213. Miller fired rounds of 68, 74 and 71 to easily win the championship by eight strokes

In the team competition, the Mules fired three rounds of less than 300, the only such rounds in the tournament and finished with a team total of 889 to win the team title by a whopping 29 strokes over Washburn.

With the win, the Mules qualify for the national super regionals, to be held May 2-4 at Cherry Blossom Golf Club in Georgetown, Ky.

Miller who also won the Lincoln University Invitational and the Northern Kentucky University Spring Classic, as well as shared medalist honors at the NSU and Missouri Intercollegiate tournaments, racked up 28 points to earn MIAA Player of the Year honors.

Miller currently has a 72.37 stroke average. He has five wins, seven top 10 finishes and nine top 15 finishes in his 11 tournaments this season. He is currently ranked among the top 25 golfers in par 4 scoring average (4.11) and subpar strokes (birdies and eagles) per round (3.52).

UCM Golf Coach Tim Poe knew Miller had the potential to be a great player.“We knew he had a lot of ability,” Poe said. “The thing he has improved the most is the mental aspect. He has learned to stay within himself and learning to manage his game better. He is a hard worker and is just a true representative of everything a golfer can be.” Poe added, “I have enjoyed working with him the past four years. We are sure proud of him  and even after he leaves, he will still be a part of our program.”

The Mules, who finished second at last year’s NCAA Division II tournament, are ranked 20th in the most recent Division II poll.

Miller is the son of Gary and Jeanine Miller of Eldon. He shared the MSHSAA Class 3 golf championship in 2007. 

Update: Miller is currently tied for 12th at the NCAA Division II Golf Championships. He also just missed qualifying for the US Open Friday, May 13 at Persimmon Woods golf club in St. Louis

Tom Collins/Eldon Advertiser