Wildcats Conclude Action at Genesis Open
PALISADES, Calif. – Kentucky men’s golfers Jacob Cook and Garrett Wood concluded play at the Genesis Open Collegiate Showcase on Monday at The Rivera Country Club with rounds of 71 and 74, respectively.
The showcase featured some of the top collegiate golfers in the country in an 18-hole stroke-play event with the winner receiving exemption to participate in The Genesis Invitational this week. Wake Forest’s Michael Brennan posted a 5-under 66 to earn the automatic qualifying spot in this week’s PGA Tour event.
Cook finished in fifth with an even-par 71, while Wood was tied for eighth at 3-over par. Cook was paired with Thomas Pieters, while Wood played alongside Scott Stallings.
Debuting in 1926 at Los Angeles Country Club as the Los Angeles Open, the PGA Tour Genesis Open was staged at various courses throughout the Los Angeles area before permanently settling at The Riviera Country Club in 1973. Known as the site of Jack Nicklaus’ professional debut, Tiger Woods’ first PGA tournament and with 25 champions in the World Golf Hall of Fame, the course has seen many major moments in golf history.
Cook and Wood headlined the three stroke-play tournaments during the fall season for the Wildcats. The duo accounted for four of the team’s eight top-20 finishes and three of the five top-10 finishes.
Cook enjoyed the best stretch of his career during UK’s fall season. He led the team with a 71.00 scoring average and two top-10 finishes. Cook had four rounds of par or better and earned a career-low finish of a tie for seventh at the Island Resort Intercollegiate. The Frankfort, Kentucky, native also generated a career-low score of 204 (-6) in a ninth-place finish at the Old Town Collegiate Invitational. This will mark his first appearance in the Genesis Open Collegiate Showcase.
Wood matched Cook’s 71.00 scoring average and had a runner-up finish at the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational in the team’s last event of the fall. Wood has produced five par-or-lower rounds thus far in 2021-22 and has two scores of 207 or lower this season. He fired a 205 and tied for 14th at the Old Town event which matched a career-low score. The Mason, Ohio, native fired a career-low 7-under round during the third round of the Steelwood. Wood is also making his first appearance at the Genesis.
The UK men’s golf team resumes its spring schedule Feb. 28-March 1 at the Lake Las Vegas Intercollegiate. It’ll mark the first of five regular-season events during the spring schedule. The Southeastern Conference Championship is slated for April 20-24 in St. Simons Island, Georgia, at Seaside Golf Club.
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