Alex Goff Ties for 18th at NCAA Noblesville Regional
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. – For the fourth time this season, sophomore Kentucky men’s golfer Alex Goff finished a tournament among the top 20 on the individual leaderboard. Goff earned an even-par score during the final round of the NCAA Noblesville Regional on Wednesday and concluded the tournament at 1-under par in a tie for 18th overall.
Goff’s final round at the Sagamore Golf Club concludes the 2020-21 season for the Wildcats.
“Alex played his heart out this week,” UK head coach Brian Craig said. “He had a number of big numbers that kept him from being right at the top, but I was extremely proud of his effort and attitude. Alex has two years left wearing the Blue and White and he has a chance to be a special player.”
The Kings Mountain, North Carolina, native entered today’s round in contention – but five shots back of the leaders. He needed to finish as the top individual not associated with one of the advancing teams to move on to the NCAA Championships next week.
He played another solid round, as has been his calling card all season, but it was not enough to push him into the coveted spot.
Goff notched an even-par 72 to drive his season total of par-or-better rounds to 12 and 19 for his career.
He endured a tough break out of the gate with a double-bogey on the opening hole. Goff gained one stroke back at the par-four third before yielding it right back at the fourth. Not one to let it affect his game for long, Goff responded admirably with another birdie at the par-four fifth. He moved to even-par at the turn behind his third birdie of the round at the par-five seventh. A bogey at the 10th yielded a shot, but Goff settled in and played even par over the next seven holes.
Needing to gain a stroke to move into the top 20 on the individual leaderboard, Goff capped his stellar sophomore season in style. He birdied the par-five 18th to get back to even par and 1-under for the tournament.
It was an emphatic statement on a terrific season that saw him achieve a number of bests, while making the first postseason appearances of his career at both this week’s NCAA Regional and the Southeastern Conference Championship where he was UK’s top finisher.
Goff ends the season with a 72.21 stroke average, four top-20 finishes, two top-five finishes and a win at The Blessings Collegiate Invitational.
He registered a number of career bests. His win at the Blessings was a career-low finish. In a third-place finish at the Legends Collegiate Invitational he tallied a career-low round (64) and a career-low 54-hole score (201). Goff was UK’s top finisher in five of eight events he started, and he owned the most par-or-better rounds and the most rounds in the 60s (8).
For this week’s tournament, Goff tied for second among all players with an even-par score on par-threes and tied for fifth on par-fives with a 5-under total. His 15 birdies for the week were tied for the sixth most on the course.
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