Rested Wildcats Having Big Fall Season

Waking up to the chirps of the birds has never been so peaceful for the Kentucky men’s golf team. Players who are used to knocking in birdies before 8 a.m. are now soothed by the sounds of the birds and the bright sun glaring through the window. 

Why so suddenly blissful? The players have been enjoying their long mornings to sleep in. A formula has been brewing among the coaching staff, something that would get everyone to be more competitive and gain the ability to play harder and longer. And, it turns out, all that was needed was some extra sleep. 

“You have to sleep,” said UK men’s golf coach Brian Craig. “And I think (the players) are doing a better job with getting the rest they need to be prepared and ready to play.”

That change in philosophy seems to be paying off for the Wildcats this fall. Kentucky has played in two events so far this fall, and the Wildcats have won them both. 

Kentucky claimed the title at the three-day Wolf Run Intercollegiate in Zionsville, Indiana, in early September. The Wildcats were 20-over par as a team, good enough for a six-shot victory.

After two weeks off, the Wildcats stormed back onto the course, winning the Cincinnati Bearcat Invitational with a scorching 32-under par team score. Kentucky again won by six shots, with senior co-captain Chip McDaniel taking medalist honors in the event, his third career victory.

“We’ve had some good individual play,” McDaniel said. “Some of the younger guys, they’re starting to step up. So, we continue to get veteran in leadership as well as having a mix of the younger guys who are stepping up to play well.”

McDaniel’s fellow co-captain, senior Cooper Musselman, tied for ninth at the Bearcat Invitational. Musselman knows that the team’s good play will continue to breed more success.

“Team chemistry is really good, we’re all really close, we hang out together all the time,” Musselman said “When we practice together it’s a lot of fun. We encourage each other to get out (to the course) early to practice, stay late to practice, which leads to more practice, which leads to more success.”

Musselman is also a big believer in the sleep factor.

“Coach is letting us sleep a lot more,” Musselman said. “I think that’s helping us this fall.”

Craig even has a saying related to sleep.

“Sleep is the greatest performance enhancer known to man,” Craig said. “And if you don’t get it, how are you going to beat the guy who is?”

Building on that mantra, Craig and assistant coach Ben Fuqua modified the team’s schedule this fall to get them more rest. And it’s working.

“I’ve given them a little more time off than normal,” Craig said. “We’ve tried to not wear them out. When they finish in October, it will be nine and a half months straight of competition for these guys. What we’ve found is that they can get tired.”

But that has not been the case for the Wildcats this fall, as the results clearly show. So for now, the team will continue to follow the current plan.

Everyone in the world has access to the greatest enhancer known to man, but the UK men’s golf team seems to be using it to their advantage. Pushing and striving to keep this winning momentum into the rest of the fall season, the team will continue to put down zzz’s instead of tees.