McDaniel in Top 10 Following Opening 36 Holes of Play
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Sophomore Tyler ‘Chip’ McDaniel concluded day one of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Collegiate Challenge Cup in a tie for sixth overall on the individual leaderboard to help the Kentucky men’s golf team to an eighth place showing through the opening 36 holes of play. McDaniel had rounds of 66 and 73 at the par-71 Golf Club of Tennessee to pace the action for the Cats. UK is in a tie for eighth in a field that features eight teams currently ranked in Golf Week’s top 25.
The Starting Lineup:
McDaniel finished the opening 18 holes in a tie for first place with an opening round of 5-under par, 66. It matched his career-low round. He charted five birdies in the round with no bogeys. In the second round, he fought off four holes of positive scores with a trio of birdies for a 2-over par. He is in search of his second top-10 performance in as many tournaments following the opening day of play.
Junior Stephen Stallings fired a 1-under par in the opening 18 holes of action – his best round of 2015-16. He followed that performance with a 1-over par, 72 in the second round of play. His 72 was the best round of any Wildcat over the final 18 holes on Friday. Stallings collected four total birdies on the day.
Senior David Snyder fired rounds of 69 and 75 to begin action. His opening round of 69 was the lowest round of the season for the Somerset, Ky., native. He finished in a tie for 25th overall through the first 36 holes of play and is a mere two shots off of a second straight top-20 finish.
Freshmen Jalen Ledger (48th) and Lukas Euler (59th) rounded out the lineup for the Wildcats. Ledger’s best round was a 75 during the second round, while Euler put together a 76 in the opening 18 holes of action.
The Tournament Field:
In a tournament that features eight top-25 ranked teams, the Kentucky Wildcats finished the opening 36 holes in a tie for eighth place at 8-over par. UK finished the opening 18 holes in a tie for third.
Virginia leads the field at 7-under par through two rounds of play. No. 13 Vanderbilt is second, while Duke is third.
The Course:
The Golf Club of Tennessee opened in 1991. Golf Digest recognized The Golf Club of Tennessee as runner-up for the Best New Private Course in America following its inaugural year. It is consistently recognized as one of the top two courses in the state of Tennessee, and was recognized by Golf Week as one of America’s 100 Best Modern Courses. Also in 2006, Golf Digest Index ranked The Golf Club of Tennessee as one of America’s 50 Greatest Golf Retreats. The Golf Club of Tennessee has hosted numerous local, state, national amateur and pro-am events, while always providing enjoyable rounds of golf for members and their guests. It has recently been named the host site for the 2018 U.S. Women’s Amateur.
