June 30, 2010

LEXINGTON, Ky. —
Michael Kania, a freshman on the 2009-10 University of Kentucky men’s golf team, recently finished off an impressive run in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 110th Amateur Championship by finishing as the tournament’s runner-up. Kania lost in the match-play tournament 2-and-1 in the 36-hole final round to Justin Martinson.

The tournament, which was played at Saucon Valley Country Club June 21-26, is one of the most prestigious tournaments in Philadelphia for amateurs. Kania, who represented the Overbrook Golf Club, was the overall No. 12 seed in the Championship, defeating four players on his way to the tournament final. The native of Haverford, Pa., defeated the fifth-seed and fourth-seeded players in the tournament to make his solid run to the final.

Kania and Martinson, the No. 3 seeded player, fought back-and-forth in the final with Kania holding a two-stroke lead heading into the 24th hole, but Martinson would then make his run. Martinson, a senior at the University of Delaware, erased Kania’s two-stroke lead and played brilliant golf down the stretch to grab a three-stroke lead after 32 holes. Martinson would then clinch the tournament title on the 35th hole, winning the final 2-and-1.

Kania followed in the footsteps of his older brother, James Kania – also a UK golfer – and his father, James Kania Sr. James Kania Sr. won the tournament several years back and last year, James Kania made it all the way to the finals before claiming the runner-up title. James Kania and Michael Kania were trying to become the first father-son tandem to win the tournament title.

With the second-place finish, Kania sits in third place in the GAP 2010 Amateur Player of the Year standings with 225 points.

James Kania Wins 2010 Hoffner Memorial

University of Kentucky men’s golfer James Kania, a junior on the 2009-10 team, joined University of Virginia men’s golfer Cole Wilcox, also a junior during the 2009-10 season, to capture the 2010 Hoffner Memorial at Sandy Run Country Club (par 72, yardage 6850). The tournament, which was played with a best-ball format for 54-holes, was played June 25-27.

In the first round, Kania, who shot a personal score of 67, and Wilcox, who posted a personal score of 69, teamed up for a total of 9-under-par 63. The tandem followed the opening round score with a 6-under-par on the front nine in round two to sit at 15-under-par for the tournament through 27 holes with a chance to break the longstanding tournament record of 21-under-par. However, the duo shot even par on the back nine to sit at 15-under-par heading into the final round with a five-stroke lead.

After an impressive 8-under-par final round from Bobby Arthur and Matt Raudenbush, which made the duo the clubhouse leaders at 18-under-par, Kania and Wilcox found themselves a shot back of the lead with six holes to play. But after a birdie on No. 13 and No. 15, the duo took the lead for good and finished off the tournament at 20-under-par for the two-stroke victory.


2010 Hoffner Memorial Results
Sandy Run CC- par 72 6850 yards

1 James Kania Jr – University of Kentucky     63-66-67         196
   Cole Willcox – University of Virginia
   
2 Bobby Arthur – University of Delaware        67-67-64         198
   Matt Raudenbush – North Carolina