Kentucky Ties for Third at The Ocean Course
Share
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – The Kentucky men’s golf team concluded its opening weekend of action in the 2015-16 season by scoring a top-three finish as four players finished in the top 20 on the leaderboard.
Sophomore Tyler ‘Chip’ McDaniel led the way with a fourth-place finish, while freshman Jalen Ledger earned his first-ever top-10 placement. Freshman Lukas Euler and senior David Snyder also earned a spot among the top 20 players on the leaderboard. Kentucky tied for third and finished two strokes ahead of NC State for the top-three showing.
What coach Brian Craig is saying:
“We played well today and moved up a little. I love this team and the upside that it has. Chip McDaniel played quite well and it was great to see Lukas Euler and Jalen Ledger, both true freshmen, play so well in their collegiate debuts. Now we need to get back to work and improve before our next event, the SEC vs. ACC challenge.”
The Lineup:
McDaniel finished his tournament with an even-par round. The sophomore from Manchester, Ky., logged four birdies on the afternoon including scoring a three on the final par-four 18th. For his career, McDaniel has now totaled 19 par or better rounds of golf.
Ledger was the tournament’s top individual finisher scoring a top-10 showing in his collegiate debut. He carded an even-par, 72, to wrap up play. The Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., native posted a trio of birdies including one on the par-four, 18th.
Euler notched a tie for 11th place, concluding the tournament with a final round of 77. His round included an eagle on No. 16 – a par-five hole.
Snyder was the final Wildcat to earn a top-20 finish coming in with a tie for 19th. Junior Stephen Stallings and sophomores Cooper Musselman and Chris Meuth moved up the leaderboard over the final 18 holes of play. Stallings pushed into a tie for 32nd with a 74 – his best round of the weekend. Musselman moved into a tie for 46th following a round of 78. Meuth fired a 79 during the final round and moved into a tie for 68th.
The Tournament Field Roundup:
Georgia Southern was crowned tournament champions of the Invitational at The Ocean Course. The winners fired a 9-over par team score. The College of Charleston took home runner-up status at 13-over par. UK tied with UAB for third place at 24-over par. NC State was fifth and two strokes behind the Blazers and Wildcats.
Up Next for the Wildcats:
Kentucky will return to action for its second fall tournament of the season Sept. 25 at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Challenge Cup. The tournament will play in a three-day format, Sept. 25-27, in Kingston Springs, Tenn. The teams will compete on the Golf Club of Tennessee course.
The Ocean Course
Kiawah Island, S.C.
Sept. 11-12
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,115
T3 – Kentucky (298-292-298-888 +24)
T4 – Tyler “Chip” McDaniel (75-71-72-218 +2)
T11 – Lukas Euler (72-72-77-222 +6)
T19 – David Snyder (78-71-75-224 +8)
T32 – Stephen Stallings (77-77-74-228 +12)
T46 – Cooper Musselman (76-78-78-232 +16)
T68 – Chris Meuth (75-85-79-239 +23)
Individual
10 – Jalen Ledger (73-76-72-221 +5)
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow @UKMensGolf on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
