Published on Show Me Mizzou April 24, 2026
Story by Tony Rehagen, BA, BJ ’01
Golfer Veikka Viskari teed off for the spring season with plenty of momentum: In summer 2025, he took bronze at the British Amateur Championship, one of the most prestigious amateur events in the sport. The Mizzou junior continued in the fall season by finishing first among his Tiger teammates in four of five events, including two top-10 placements and a 62 in the first round of the Moraine Intercollegiate. The outing tied for the second-best round in school history.
The success is a far cry from Viskari’s sophomore year, his first as a Tiger after transferring from VCU. “I felt like my game didn’t really transfer over,” he says. “It just wasn’t showing up tournaments.”
The problem puzzled Viskari. No doubt, part of the issue was an adjustment to tougher set-ups and stiffer competition of the SEC. But Missouri had state-of-the-art training facilities, technology, strength and conditioning coaches, and on-campus access to A.L. Gustin Golf Course. As it turns out, Viskari’s issue was less physical than psychological, something he learned the Tiger coaching staff also was equipped to help him overcome.
“Last spring, when I hit a low point, I started talking to a mental coach,” Viskari says. “I hadn’t done that before. It started as an experiment, a phone call. Then we chatted a few times. They broke it down for me and helped me shift my approach. Instead of pressing, we worked on patience, letting the game come to me. And sometimes even-par might be a great score, I don’t have to play perfectly to be in contention.”
The third-place finish at the British Amateur was proof that the new approach was working. “It was a huge turning point for me,” he says. “Mentally, knowing that I was playing the best in the world and that I could go out there and compete against anyone — why couldn’t I do that at Mizzou?”
Thus far, Viskari has done just that. He hopes to follow through on his success in the fall to drive the Tigers this spring and eventually himself to a career on the PGA Tour.
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