Sept. 11, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky men’s golf team is set to hit the links for the first time in the 2014-15 season beginning on Friday as the Wildcats open play at The Invitational at The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, S.C. The 54-hole tournament marks the first of four fall tournaments for the Cats.
“We had excellent preparation with six really good qualifying rounds,” UK head coach Brian Craig said. “We’re definitely ready to play and this course will be a great test of golf which will immediately begin to help prepare us for postseason. We’re excited to get our season underway.”
Kentucky enters the season following an 18th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2013-14. UK returns seven letterwinners from last year’s squad including senior Will Bishop and junior David Snyder who were both in the lineup at the NCAA Championships in May.
This week’s tournament will feature a lineup with freshman Tyler McDaniel, freshman Cooper Musselman, Snyder, Bishop and sophomore Stephen Stallings. Additionally, freshman Fred Allen Meyer and junior Todd McDaniel will play as individuals.
In addition to Kentucky, the three-day tournament field is comprised of Charleston Southern, The College of Charleston, Duke, Francis Marion, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Navy, South Florida, Stephen F. Austin, Towson, Troy, UT Arlington and Western Carolina.
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort has played host to the 2007 Senior PGA and 2012 PGA Championships and is only the fourth course to host each of the PGA of America’s major championships. Probably no other golf course in the world outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland is affected as much by the wind. Located on the eastern-most end of Kiawah Island, The Ocean Course has more seaside holes than any other course in the Northern Hemisphere.
The course is a par 72, with a total distance of 7,115 yards. The tournament will begin with 18 holes on Friday with players teeing off from both the first and 10th holes beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET. Saturday the players will take the course for another 18 holes beginning at 11:40 a.m. ET off tee one and 12:10 off of hole No. 10. Sunday’s final round of 18 will be a shotgun start at 8 a.m. ET. Fans can follow along with live scoring at Golfstat.com.
This marks the second consecutive season Craig will take his squad to The Ocean Course. UK appeared in the tournament a season-ago as the final fall event of the year Oct. 27-29. The Wildcats turned in a third place finish with Snyder and Stallings among the players in the lineup that week. Both Wildcats finished among the top 35.
For more information on the University of Kentucky men’s golf team please visit UKathletics.com and follow us on Twitter @UKmensgolf.
The Ocean Course
Kiawah Island, S.C.
Sept. 12-14
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,115
UK Lineup:
1 – Tyler `Chip’ McDaniel
2 – Cooper Musselman
3 – David Snyder
4 – Will Bishop
5 – Stephen Stallings
Individuals – Todd McDaniel, Fred Allen Meyer
