Euler, Mehles Fire Under-Par Rounds; UK Remains in Sixth
Round Two Results
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Junior Lukas Euler and freshman Max Mehles carded under-par scores as the Kentucky men’s golf team held firm following the second round of play at the 2018 Southeastern Conference Championship in St. Simons, Island, Georgia.
Euler moved into the top 10 on the individual leaderboard, while Mehles was Kentucky’s biggest riser on the board to lead the way. Kentucky remains in the mix for one of the coveted eight spots for match play with just 18 holes to go after finishing the day in sixth place with a combined 9-over-par score. The top eight teams following 54-holes of stroke play will advance to Saturday’s match play portion of the championship to determine the 2018 crown.
“Lukas and Max led the way today,” UK head coach Brian Craig said. “They really played excellent golf. Overall, we are in a good spot but there are still 72 holes that will count tomorrow and that is a ton of golf. We need to keep doing what we are doing and stay aggressive. Tomorrow should be a fun day.”
LSU leads the field through 36 holes at 3-under par. Day-one leader, Vanderbilt, is two shots back of the Tigers. Alabama at 3-over par is followed by Ole Miss (+5) and Auburn (+6) to round out the top five. Kentucky is a mere three strokes off Auburn’s pace.
Euler fired his team-leading 21st par-or-better round of the season with a 1-under 69. He’s come in at par or better in 10 of his last 11 rounds played, including both this week at the league championship. After beginning his day with a bogey on the par-three third, Euler combined for back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth holes to move into red numbers heading into the turn. A birdie on the par-four 11th pushed his score to 2-under, but a bogey on the par-four 14th set him back a shot. The Dieburg, Germany, native played even-par golf the rest of the way to come into the clubhouse in the top 10 on the individual leaderboard tied for seventh.
Mehles, appearing in his first collegiate postseason event, continued his steady play of late matching Euler’s 1-under round. Mehles jumped 18 spots on the individual leaderboard to move into a tie for 26th. Mehles’ day did not begin as he would have wanted it too with bogeys on consecutive holes at the No. 3 and No. 4. He bounced back with a birdie on the par-five seventh. He’d play at even par over the next five holes, before momentum really started to swing. Red numbers on par fours at both the 13th and 14th moved his score to 1-under for the day. A setback on the 16th was immediately combated with a birdie on the par-three 17th. He parred the 18th to conclude his round with a red number.
Senior Cooper Musselman also sits in a tie for 26th following Thursday’s round. The Louisville, Kentucky, native fired a 2-over-par, 72. Musselman had three birdies on the front nine and carded an eagle at the par-five 15th to highlight his round.
Junior Fred Allen Meyer bounced back in a big way today with a 3-over-par 73. Meyer birdied the par-four second to get his round going. He concluded the day with three total holes in red numbers and he moved into a tie for 61st overall.
Senior Chip McDaniel tallied a 74 on the second day of play and is tied for 38th on the individual leaderboard. Back-to-back birdies at the No. 14 and No. 16 highlighted his round.
Kentucky will resume action on Friday off the No. 1 tee. UK is set to play with Ole Miss and Auburn beginning at 8:20 a.m. ET with a spot in match play on the line.
Live stats are available via golfstat.com to follow along with Friday’s final round of stroke play.
The Tournament Setup
Teams: No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Florida, No. 9 Auburn, No. 11 LSU, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 19 Kentucky, No. 34 Ole Miss, No. 38 South Carolina, No. 39 Missouri, No. 50 Tennessee, No. 54 Georgia, No. 56 Mississippi State
Course Details: This marks the 18th year for the SEC Championship to be contested on the Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course. The SEC has conducted its annual championship on St. Simons Island since 2001. Since 1927, the Sea Island Golf Club has enjoyed a legacy as one of America’s premier golf clubs.
Rated No. 1 in the U.S. among the “World’s 50 Best Golf Hotels” by Golf Digest Index, Sea Island Golf Club offers three exceptional 18-hole championship courses. The Seaside Course, home to the PGA TOUR’s McGladrey Classic, is a links course graced by majestic ocean vistas in the tradition of St. Andrews.
Originally designed in 1929 by famed architects Harry S. Colt and Charles Alison, the Seaside Course was updated in 1999 by Tom Fazio – earning it a prominent place on Golf Digest’s list of “Top 100 Courses in the United States.”
Format: Three-day, 54-hole event stroke play. Count top four scores each day. Match play for top eight teams beginning on Saturday. Final two play head-to-head in match play on Sunday.
Live Look: Live stats are available via golfstat.com.
Forecast: Friday (Mostly sunny, high of 80, 10% chance of rain, WSW 9 mph); Saturday (Sunny, high of 80, 0% chance of rain, WNW 8 mph); Sunday (Partly cloudy, high of 77, 0% chance of rain, NNE 10 mph)
Agate
6 – Kentucky (286, 283 – 569, +9)
T7 – Lukas Euler (70, 69 – 139, -1)
T26 – Cooper Musselman (71, 72 – 143, +3)
T26 – Max Mehles (74, 69 – 143, +3)
T38 – Chip McDaniel (71, 74 – 145, +5)
T61 – Fred Allen Meyer (77, 73 – 150, +10)
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow @UKMensGolf on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
