Wildcats Rally on Back Nine with Four of Five Starters Par or Better
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Four of Kentucky’s five starters shot even par or better on the back nine during the second round of the Mason Rudolph Championship on Saturday. Senior Lukas Euler was 3-under par over his final nine holes and finished the day with a 1-under round of 70 to lead the way for the men’s golf team during Saturday’s second round of the three-day, 54-hole event.
Kentucky is in eighth through 36 holes of play. The Wildcats are a mere three strokes off the pace for a top-five finish and 11 back of Vanderbilt who leads the field.
Freshman Cullan Brown is UK’s leader in the clubhouse at 5-under par for the tournament and tied for 10th. Brown is seeking his first ever top-10 finish after generating a Brian Craig era program-low opening round of 64 on Friday. Brown shot a 2-over par 73 during Saturday’s round. He finished on a tear with birdies on three of his final five holes including back-to-back at the 17th and 18th.
Euler was UK’s top performer on Saturday surging up the leaderboard by 10 spots into a tie for 24th. Euler, who has finished among the top 25 on the individual leaderboard during every spring tournament, is looking to continue that trend. He fired a 1-under 70 that featured four birdies on the back nine, including a red number at the 14th, 17th and 18th holes.
Senior Max Mehles carded an ever-par 71 and is tied for 45th overall. Mehles had one birdie to combat one bogey, while playing the final 10 holes at even par.
Junior Matt Liston is tied for 37th through two rounds following a 1-over par 72 on Saturday. Senior Fred Allen Meyer matched Liston’s 72 thanks to an eagle on the par-five 18th to finish his round in stylish fashion. He’s tied for 70th entering Sunday’s final round.
Senior Fadhli Soetarso, playing as an individual, fired a 2-over 73. He is tied for 83rd after 36 holes of play.
The course is set up as a par 71 over 7,100 yards. The field is comprised of 15 other teams, including three from the SEC in Tennessee, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. The host Commodores lead the team standings at 15-under par. Tennessee and Coastal Carolina are four strokes back, while Liberty (-10) and Memphis (-7) round out the top five. The final 18 holes begin Sunday at 8 a.m. ET.
Live stats for Sunday’s final round are available via Golfstat.com.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow @UKMensGolf on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
