A two-time Kentucky Junior Player of the Year, the 2007 Kentucky Junior Amateur Champion and a key member of the 2007 European Championship team highlight the Kentucky men?s golf signing class, announced on Tuesday by seventh-year head coach Brian Craig. Joseph Barr (Versailles, Ky.), Seth Blann (Bowling Green, Ky.) and Simon Ward (County Monaghan, Ireland) each have signed National Letters of Intent during the early signing period to play golf at UK.
“This is a very important class for us as we lose Cale Barr and Brad Doster to graduation this spring, Craig said. With the addition of Simon Ward, Joseph Barr and Seth Blann, we not only get three players who have the skills to be impact players in the SEC but also three terrific young men who will make our program stronger in the classroom and in the community. Joseph and Seth have had very impressive success in the junior ranks over the last couple of years. Simon, who is a little older, has already proven himself in the European amateur ranks and will enter UK with an undergraduate degree from Ulster University in Ireland before pursuing his MBA degree here at Kentucky. This will be an extraordinary class that can help us to achieve our goal of winning another SEC Championship.”
Barr, a product of Woodford County High School and the brother of current Wildcat golfer Cale Barr, comes to UK ranked No. 26 in the nation, according to the 2007 Polo High School Golf Rankings. Among the accomplishments for Barr during his four-year high school career include winning the 2007 Bubba Conlee Junior Championship and being named the Kentucky Golf Association Junior Player of the Year in each of the past two seasons.
?Joseph has had a fantastic summer of golf on the national scene, and has matured into one of the top junior players out of the 2008 class,? Craig said. ?He has the ability to be an impact player on the collegiate level as a freshman and help our program to achieve its goals. Joseph is also an extremely dedicated student-athlete who has a tremendous work ethic in the classroom and on the course. He will be a great addition to our program, and I look forward to coaching Joseph during his Wildcat career.?
Also in 2007, Barr notched third-place finishes in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Houchens Junior Open and in the AJGA HP Boys Championship. Barr also charted a seventh-place finish in the AJGA National Resource Partners and an eighth-place finish at the Kentucky Men?s Amateur Championship. Barr comes to UK as one of the most accomplished junior golfers in the nation, earning second-team All-America honors from the AJGA. In addition to his accomplishments on the course, Barr also succeeds in the classroom, as a member of the National Honor Society and the Beta Club.
Blann, a senior at Bowling Green High School and the brother of current Wildcat golfer Jordan Blann, comes to UK as one of the top golfers in the state. He earned a second-place finish at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Tournament, narrowly falling in a playoff to determine the individual champion. In 2007, Blann claimed the Kentucky Junior Amateur Championship, setting the tournament record with an impressive 133 two-day total.
?Seth has superb fundamentals and has proven that he has the ability to win as evidenced by his dominating performance in this year?s Kentucky Junior Amateur,? Craig said. ?I firmly believe that his best golf is in front of him as he continues to gain experience and get physically stronger. I also believe that Seth?s best quality is his mental and emotional toughness. He believes in his talent and has a huge heart. Seth is a terrific student and will be an asset to our Wildcat golf family. I am looking forward to having him on our team and helping him achieve his goals starting next fall.?
As the 2007 Kentucky High School Coaches Association ?Outstanding Senior,? Blann earned a fifth-place finish at the AJGA NRP Bluegrass Junior Tournament and a ninth-place finish at the National McDonald?s High School Tournament of Champions.
Ward, who will soon graduate from Ulster University in Ireland, will come to UK with two years of collegiate eligibility remaining. He plans to work on his MBA while competing for the Wildcats. Ward will bring a wealth of international experience to the Kentucky roster after leading his Irish amateur team to the 2007 European Team Championship. Simon also qualified fourth in the stroke-play portion of the British Amateur in 2007. In 2006, Ward won the South of Ireland Championship, in addition to being a member of the Irish Eisenhower Cup Team.
?Simon will be a unique member of our team, as he will only have two years of eligibility while he pursues his MBA degree,? Craig said. ?He is a very bright young man who will certainly help us to achieve our academic goals. On the golf side, Simon has a terrific track record in the amateur ranks. He has consistently played outstanding tournament golf throughout Ireland and Europe, and has the ability to be one of the top players in Division I golf. I am excited that Simon will be joining our program in the fall and look forward to him being an instrumental member of our team while he earns his graduate-level degree.?
