The Kentucky men?s golf program is recognized as one of the elite golf programs in the country under third-year head coach Brian Craig. The Wildcats are currently ranked No. 20 in the country according to the Golfweek.com rankings and No. 23 according to the GolfStat rankings. Kentucky has consistently been ranked in the top-25 all season and is poised to make a run at the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year.
The Cats are set to participate in the NCAA Central Region Championships, May 20-22, in West Lafayette, Ind.
Q&A with Coach Brian Craig
How has this team faired in regards to pre-season expectations?
Coach Brian Craig
This year?s team has lived up very well in regards to pre-season expectations. A minor disappointment is that we have won only one time to this date. However, we have had a remarkably consistent year finishing in the top five in 9 of our 11 events with a very competitive schedule.
Who has made the most progress since the beginning of the season?
Coach Brian Craig
Without a doubt, Mark Blakefield has made the most progress this year. Mark has had a tremendous year and has matured into the type of player that can compete with the very best players in Division 1 golf. It has been great to see his perseverance pay off this season.
Is it difficult to choose a lineup every week with such a strong team?
Coach Brian Craig
We have quite a few strong players on this team that certainly makes determining the starting five a difficult task for each event. However, we are now down to six players who have proven throughout the season that they deserve a chance to compete in the post-season. Matt Wells has the edge on the last spot due to his consistency all year with Tyler Wilson making a strong case with his late season improvement.
What advice do you give the team to mentally prepare for a tournament?
Coach Brian Craig
When we compete in a tournament, I mainly encourage my guys to do two things mentally. I want them to play with supreme confidence regardless of the circumstances around them and I want them to make smart decisions concerning the way they manage their games around the golf course.
How has the addition of assistant coach Dan Utley changed/added to the atmosphere of the team?
Coach Brian Craig
Dan Utley, our assistant coach, has been a huge asset for our program. Dan has a wealth of knowledge in the game of golf and does a great job of communicating it to the team. Having a two person staff also allows us to spend more quality time with each student-athlete throughout the course of a year. The team members are the real beneficiaries of our program being able to add Dan to our staff.
How has your experience been coaching one of the nation?s best collegiate golfers, John Holmes?
Coach Brian Craig
John Holmes has been an absolute joy to coach during these last three years. John is one of the most competitive individuals that I have ever been around in sports. It has been particularly satisfying to see John do a better job of controlling his emotions on the course this season. As a result, he has matured into one of the best players in all of amateur golf and is having a fantastic season with 8 top tens in our 11 events.
Does the fact that there aren?t any seniors on this year?s team encourage you for next season?
Coach Brian Craig
Not having any seniors on our roster will mean that we will have a very experienced and veteran team that knows what it takes to be successful in the SEC as we strive to win our conference championship. I am looking forward to having one or two more players step up their games to meet the challenge of what will hopefully be a terrific year.
How has the team been affected by the news of Phillip Schardein? How is your relationship with him and his family? What is the latest update on his situation?
Coach Brian Craig
Most of the guys on our current team know Philip Shardein and care deeply for him and what he has been going through in his battle with Leukemia. It was an incredible experience for us all to be able to honor Philip with the Courage Award at last week?s CATSPY?s. For me personally, I can?t think of anyone that I admire more than Philip and his entire family. They are just wonderful people who love to help others and have touched many lives, including my own. Philip has been an inspiration to us all throughout this most difficult time. I just spoke with him the other day and he informed me that the last test showed that the bone marrow transplant was working and the cancer was in remission. That is wonderful news. I would only ask that everyone keep praying for Philip and the continued success of his treatments.
