GAINESVILLE, Fla. ? The Kentucky Wildcats survived wind, a rain delay and sloppy conditions to earn a third-place showing in the 27th annual Sun Trust Gator Invitational at the University Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla. The tournament host and top-ranked Gators took the team title by firing an 848 total, which was 11 strokes better than second-place Alabama-Birmingham (859). The final round of the 15-team tournament was delayed an hour and a half due to rain Sunday afternoon, and competitors faced consistent winds of 15-18 MPH when play resumed.

?Overall, I?m extremely proud of how we played,? Kentucky Coach Brian Craig said. ?It?s a great start to our spring season and we handled the adverse conditions very well.?

Junior John Holmes, who entered the third and final round tied for fourth overall, shot a 72 on the day to finish tied for fifth with Tigh VanLeeuwen of UAB. Holmes, who is currently rated as the 14th best golfer in the NCAA by GolfWeek magazine, picked up his fourth Top-10 finish in five tournaments this school year with a 212 three round total. Chris Cousins (UAB) shot a tournament-low 67 first round and fired a pair of par-70s to claim top individual honors with a three-round 207.

Juniors Mark Blakefield and Brandon Waldrop finished tied for 15th and 27th, respectively, while sophomore Matt Kohn and junior Matt Wells tied for 41st individually for Kentucky.

?We have a lot of positives to take from this,? Craig said. ?We faced some stiff competition, on a difficult course, under some very strenuous circumstances and our guys maintained their poise throughout the tournament. I?m looking forward to the remainder of the season.?

The Wildcats return to action at the Mercedes Benz Collegiate at Sawgrass Country Club in Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 8-10.

 Kentucky Scores Place Name Rd.1 Rd. 2 Rd. 3 Total T-5 John Holmes 68 72 72 212 T-15 Mark Blakefield 69 73 75 217 T-27 Brandon Waldrop 77 71 71 219 T-41 Matt Kohn 75 71 77 223 T-41 Matt Wells 73 74 76 223