Oct. 21, 2003
TAMPA, Fla. – Junior Mark Blakefield fired a 71 1-under par final round to lead the No. 26 Kentucky men’s golf team to a fifth place finish at the Gary Koch/Cleveland Golf Intercollegiate in Tampa, Florida. No. 5 Georgia Tech won the overall title shooting a 22-under par 842 three-round total. In addition to Kentucky, the Southeastern Conference was represented by two other schools in the top-5, No. 1 Florida (runner-up) and Arkansas (fourth).
Blakefield, who finished tied for ninth in the individual standings, paced the Wildcats early, shooting a team season-low 67 in the first round. The junior from Maysville, Ky., was tied for 14th with teammate John Holmes going into the third round. Blakefield’s ninth place finish is his second top-10 finish of the season. He finished tied for third in Kentucky’s first fall tournament, the Kiawah Island/Cleveland Golf Intercollegiate
Holmes, as well as sophomore Matt Kohn, each shot a par-72 final round to finish 12th and tied for 21st, respectively. Juniors Matt Wells and Brandon Waldrop completed the solid team effort for Kentucky, finishing tied for 46th and tied for 64th, respectively.
Matt Every of the University of Florida took home top individual honors after firing a 66 in the final round to edge Roberto Castro from Georgia Tech by three strokes (205-208).
The Wildcats have now finished in the top-10 of all four of their fall tournaments. As a team, UK does not return to action until Jan. 31, 2004 at the Gator Invitational in Gainesville, Fla. However, Holmes will participate in the 2003 Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic in El Paso, Texas. The tournament, which takes place Nov. 24-25 at the El Paso Country Club, features 29 collegiate All-Americans from the 2003 season.
Team Results1. Georgia Tech 2722832878422. Florida 2762922898573. TCU 2812892908604. Arkansas 2822852968635. Kentucky 2852912918676. Georgia State 2892852988727. LSU 2832873078778. UCF 2942942988869. Florida State 29229130488710. North Carolina State 29328930788911. North Florida 299293298890T-12. Alabama 295298302895T-12. S. Florida 29629030989514. Coll. of Charleston 28330430989615. Mississippi 295297306398
Top-Five Individual Results1. Matt Every Florida 6970662052. Roberto Castro Ga. Tech 687070208T-3. Adam Meyer TCU 686972209T-3. Fernando Mechereffe NC State 696773209T-3. John Assey Charleston 676874209
Kentucky GolfersT-9. Mark Blakefield 67757121312. John Holmes 736972214T-21. Matt Kohn 747272218T-46. Matt Wells 717976226T-64. Brandon Waldrop 757581231*T-69. Jack Hudson 757583233
* participated as an individual separate from the team
