Men’s Golf Wraps Up Spring Break Trip at Schenkel
2017-18 Season Stats
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Fresh off a fourth-place showing a week ago, the Kentucky men’s golf team is set for another challenge at the Schenkel Invitational beginning on Friday to wrap up its spring break trip with consecutive weeks of action.
The Wildcats will take on Forest Heights Country Club in the 39th annual Invitational with 18 holes Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Kentucky is making its 13th straight appearance in the event, with four of five starters having appeared in the event a season ago.
Senior Chip McDaniel and freshman Max Mehles paced the Wildcats a week ago at the General Hackler. Mehles, playing as an individual, produced the best tournament of his young career with a top-10 finish on the individual leaderboard. Mehles will make his first collegiate start at this week’s event following his impressive performance. McDaniel carded a tie for 12th with a pair of par-or-better rounds to lead the Cats to fourth place.
Coach Craig’s Takeaway
“The Schenkel is one of our longstanding events and one of the finest tournaments in college golf. The hospitality and people down here in Statesboro are top notch, and Forest Heights Country Club is a terrific test and fun to play. We are looking to build on the momentum we started last week and finish off this spring break trip on a positive note.”
Lineup Profiles
Chip McDaniel: Placed in a tie for 12th to lead UK starters in the General Hackler last week with a pair of under-par rounds. He claimed the individual crown at the Bearcat Invitational behind a 12-under score for the tournament for his best finish of the season. He owns a 72.89 stroke average through 18 rounds of action this season. McDaniel will make his 40th career start at this week’s event with a team-high 102 of his 115 career rounds counting towards UK’s team score.
Cooper Musselman: Earned his first career victory during the fall slate with a 6-under score at the Crooked Stick Invitational. For the season, he’s averaging a 72.50 stroke average and has 10 par-or-better rounds of play. He opened the season by scoring a top-10 finish in each of UK’s three tournament victories in the fall. He tied for 22nd at last week’s General Hackler behind a second-round 67.
Lukas Euler: He had his most productive four-tournament stretch of his career with top-20 finishes in all four fall events. He leads the team with a 72.00 stroke average for the season and a low round of 67. His best finish came when he tied for second to conclude the fall season at the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational.
Fred Allen Meyer: Meyer posted a top-15 finish for the first time this season at the Bearcat Invitational with a career-low tournament score of 208. He is shooting 73.33 for the season with five par-or-better rounds. He shot a career-low 68 during the second round of the Bearcat Invitational to help lead UK to an 11th-place showing. Meyer earned a tie for 22nd at the General Hackler with a 1-over par score a week ago.
Max Mehles: Is coming off the most prolific event of his career with a top-seven finish at the General Hackler last week. Mehles had a career-low round of 67 in the opening round. He finished the week at 3-under par to lead all Wildcats on the course. Mehles has a 74.44 stroke average through nine rounds of play this season.
Matt Liston*: Is averaging a 74.87 stroke average which includes a tie for fifth at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate. He shot a combined 215 score at the Bearcat Invitational en route to helping guide UK to a win. He has two par-or-better rounds on the year, including a career-low 68 in the final round of the Bearcat.
The Tournament Setup
Teams: College of Charleston, East Tennessee State, Florida, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi State, NC State, Notre Dame, Richmond, Vanderbilt, UAB
Course Details: The 18-hole Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro, Georgia is a private golf course that opened in 1947. Designed by George Cobb, Forest Heights Country Club measures 6962 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 133 and a 73.6 USGA rating.
Format: Three-day, 54-hole event. Count top four scores each day
Schedule of Play: Players will play 18 holes each day
Live Look: Live stats are available via golfstat.com
Forecast: Friday (partly cloudy, high of 75), Saturday (50% chance of scattered thunderstorms, high of 78), Sunday (mostly sunny, high of 80)
History at the Schenkel Invitational
Years Participated: 12 (2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006)
Best Finish: Third (2016, 2006)
Returning Player Finishes From 2017: Cooper Musselman (T8th), Chip McDaniel (T15th), Lukas Euler (T29th), Matt Liston (T46th), Fred Allen Meyer (T53rd)
Noteworthy: Musselman shot a season-low 67 on the final day of play to surge into a top-10 finish to lead UK to a fifth-place showing.
Upcoming Schedule
March 25-27 Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate Awendaw, S.C.
April 9-10 Gary Koch Invitational Gastonia, N.C.
Agate
Kentucky
1 – Chip McDaniel
2 – Cooper Musselman
3 – Lukas Euler
4 – Fred Allen Meyer
5 – Max Mehles
Individuals
Matt Liston
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow @UKMensGolf on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
