SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico ? The Kentucky men?s golf team recorded a second-place finish at the Hyatt/Dorado Beach Intercollegiate, despite competing without junior Mark Blakefield, one of its top golfers. The Cats finished with an 877 team total and fired a third round 289, its best round of the tournament, to finish nine strokes behind Baylor University (868), on Tuesday.

?Overall, we battled hard without Mark,? Coach Brian Craig said. ?We look forward to getting him back and playing better next weekend.?

Junior All-American John Holmes posted a team tournament low three-under par 69 in the third round and finished third overall in the tournament. Holmes? three-day 212 (72-71-69) is a season-best for 54-hole tournaments in 2004. He has finished in the top-five in four of Kentucky?s seven tournaments this school year.

Matt Kohn, a sophomore from Longwood, Fla., also finished in the top-10 with a 216 (74-70-72), which is par for the course. Brandon Waldrop finished with a 223 (76-74-73), followed by Matt Wells who scored a 226 (74-77-75). Freshman Cale Barr, who filled in for Blakefield, rounded out the Kentucky lineup with a 243 (82-79-82).

UK is set to compete at the Conrad Rehling Spring Invitational, March 13-14 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.