Kentucky Set For Schenkel Invitational

The three-day, 54-hole event will begin on Friday and conclude on Sunday. The tournament is a par-72 consisting of 6,962 yards.

About the lineup:

The starting lineup will feature senior David Snyder, junior Stephen Stallings, sophomores Tyler ‘Chip’ McDaniel and Cooper Musselman, and freshman Jalen Ledger, with freshman Lukas Euler competing as an individual. 

Snyder and McDaniel look to replicate their successes from last year’s Schenkel Invitational. Overall, the Wildcats finished in fourth place last season, Snyder tying for ninth and McDaniel for 12th, individually. 

In the 2015-16 season, McDaniel currently leads the team with 11 par or better rounds this season.

Musselman has shined this spring, charting a career-best at the Wildcats’ spring opener in Puerto Rico with a 3-under, 231 score. The sophomore led the team on the last day at the Tiger Invitational just over a week ago, where the Wildcats finished in seventh place.

Along with Musselman, Stallings also saw success early in the spring, charting a career-low with a round of 68 in Puerto Rico, finishing the tournament in the top-30 individually. The junior from Louisville, Ky., will compete for the second time at the Schenkel Invitational, earning his first start in the tournament last season during his sophomore campaign.

Ledger will start at the Schenkel, marking the first team start for the freshman this spring. The Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., native saw success in the fall campaign, earning his first ever top-10 placement at The Ocean Course while competing as an individual. He earned his first team start at the Collegiate Challenge Cup in September.

Lukas Euler returns to the course as an individual competitor at the Schenkel. The freshman had a successful fall campaign, assisting the Wildcats in their third place finish at The Ocean Course tournament with a tie for 11th individually.  

What Coach Brian Craig is saying:

“The Schenkel is one of our favorite events of the year. There is no better hospitality than in Statesboro, Ga., for this special event. The golf course is classic and the field is top flight. We have had excellent preparation this last week and are ready to play.”

The Tournament Field:

The impressive tournament field consists of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, No. 4 Auburn, Boston College, College of Charleston, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Harvard, Iowa, No. 19 North Carolina, NC State, North Florida, No. 15 Vanderbilt, and No. 10 Wake Forest.

Wake Forest holds the most team titles in this tournament field with six, and Auburn, Georgia Southern, and North Carolina have all won the Schenkel in the past. In the 2014-15 season, Auburn left Statesboro with the victory and Vanderbilt the runner-up.

The Course: 

The Forest Heights Country Club will be home to the Schenkel Invitational again this year. Forest Heights has been the host of the tournament since it’s start in 1971. Kentucky returns to the tournament for the 10th consecutive season, having competed 15 times in tournament history.

Players will tee off with a shotgun start at 7:45 a.m. ET on Friday for the 54-hole event. Teams will be paired based on the results from the first two rounds and will play 18 holes every day, concluding on Sunday. Fans can follow along with the action on golfstat.com 

Forest Heights Country Club

Statesboro, Ga. 

March 18-20

Par: 72

Yardage: 6,962 

UK Lineup: 

1 – Chip McDaniel

2 – Stephen Stallings

3 – Cooper Musselman

4 – Jalen Ledger

5 – David Snyder

Individual- Lukas Euler