May 14, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky men’s golf team is set to begin NCAA Regional play this week at the Lonnie Poole Golf Club in Raleigh, N.C., with the top six teams advancing to the NCAA Championships. The three-day, 54-hole tournament will begin Thursday, May 15 and wrap up Saturday, May 17.
Last Time Out:
Kentucky is coming off an eighth-place finish at the 2014 SEC Championship held at St. Simons Island, Ga. Junior David Snyder tied for fifth place with a 5-under par, 205, marking his second top-five finish and fourth top 10 finish of the season. His final round of 65 marked a season best. Senior Ben Stow tied for 26th at 1-over par, 211, while senior Cody Martin tied for 36th at 5-over par, 215.
UK has won one tournament this season, while placing in the top five in seven of the team’s 10 tournaments. Stow leads the team with a stroke average of 72.20 and five top 10 finishes. Senior Stephen Powers is second on the team with a scoring average of 72.40 to go with five top 10 finishes as well.
About the NCAA Regionals:
Six 54-hole regional tournaments will be conducted May 15-17. There will be 13 teams and 10 individuals not on those teams competing at each of three regionals, while the other three regionals will have 14 teams and five individuals not on those teams. The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each regional will advance to the finals. This marks the eighth postseason appearance for Kentucky under the direction of Craig. The Wildcats placed 10th in 2013 and 2006, ninth in 2009, 17th in 2008, tied for fourth in 2005, first in 2004 and sixth in 2003.
Eighteen holes will be played Thursday, Friday and Saturday with fixed tee times on holes No. 1 and No. 10 at 8 a.m. ET. The course will feature a par-71, 7,213-yard setup.
The Field:
The 13-team regional features one other team from the Southeastern Conference, Texas A&M. The remainder of the field includes Georgia Tech, Washington, Florida State, Mercer, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, South Alabama, Memphis, Minnesota, Rice and Bethune-Cookman.
Coach Craig Quotables:
“I can’t wait to get these boys to the Lonnie Poole course at NC State and compete,” said UK head coach Brian Craig. “We are ready to go and relish this opportunity. Our number one job will be to stay positive throughout the competition no matter what the circumstances may be. In fact, we will be #TeamPositive all week long. If we take care of that challenge, I like our chances to have a successful week.”
Up Next:
The finals will be held May 23-28 in Hutchinson, Kan., at Prairie Dunes Country Club. Wichita State is the host institution for the 2014 NCAA Championship. For more information on the University of Kentucky men’s golf team please visit UKathletics.com and follow on Twitter @UKmensgolf.
Lonnie Poole Golf Club
Raleigh, N.C. – May 15-17
Par: 71 (35-36)
Yardage: 7,213 (3,512-3,701)
Live Scoring: Stats
UK Lineup:
1. Ben Stow
2. Stephen Powers
3. David Snyder
4. Cody Martin
5. Will Bishop
