Following a three-hour delay caused by thunderstorms in the area, the University of Kentucky men?s golf team stands in second place after the first round of play at the 2005 NCAA Central Region in South Bend, Ind. Play was suspended a second time on Thursday by darkness with 12 teams still on the course. Those teams will wrap up their final holes as the second round begins on Friday.

The Wildcats posted a total team score of 288 (+8) on the first day of play. Of the 15 teams that completed play, Missouri leads the pack with a team total of 285 (+5).

?After a rough start, I thought the guys played the last 11 holes beautifully to put up a very respectable score today,? said head coach Brian Craig. ?I?ve said all year that these guys have guts and a lot of heart and I look for them to bounce back and play the way they?re capable tomorrow.?

Senior Brandon Waldrop led the Wildcats with his one-over-par 71, followed by fellow senior Mark Blakefield and junior Matt Kohn who each carded a first-round 72. Senior Matt Wells fired a first-round 73, while senior John Holmes rounded out the scoring for the Wildcats with a score of 75.

Play resumes on Friday at the Warren Golf Course on the Notre Dame campus.