BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ? Kentucky?s John Holmes and Matt Kohn were named to the 2004 All-Southeastern Conference team on Monday. Holmes received his third consecutive All-SEC honor with first team recognition, while Kohn received second team recognition for the first time in his two year career as a Wildcat. This season marks the first time in school history two players received All-SEC recognition in the same year.
Holmes played in all 11 of Kentucky?s tournaments this year and recorded nine top-10 individual finishes. The Campbellsville, Ky., native claimed the Conrad Rehling Spring Invite title and finished runner-up in the Cleveland Golf/Kiawah Island Intercollegiate. The junior was named to the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) 2004 Ben Hogan Award Watch List and was recently selected to play for the United States in the 2004 Fuji Xerox U.S.A. vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship this summer. Holmes was named to the All-SEC first team previously as a freshman and garnered second team recognition as a sophomore.
?I?m excited for John,? Coach Brian Craig said. This recognition is a great reflection of his commitment and determination to be great in this game.?
Kohn, a sophomore from Longwood, Fla., has Kentucky?s second-best stroke average (73.25) and has four top-10 finishes in 10 tournaments this year. His best outing of the year was at the 2004 SEC Championships where he finished fourth with a season-low 210 three-day total.
?This is a great step forward for Matt,? Craid said. ?He has proven that he can play at a very high level and more importantly I think his maturity and decision-making has brought him consistency that he didn?t have last year. He has turned into a terrific player for us and I?m excited for him.?
The University of Florida, which has been ranked No. 1 in the country for the entire season, swept SEC Coach of the Year (Buddy Alexander), Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Camilo Villegas) and SEC Player of the Year (Camilo Villegas). Gator freshman Jessie Mudd received Co-Freshman of the Year honors with Georgia?s Brendon Todd.
No. 23 Kentucky will compete in the NCAA Central Region Championships in West Lafayette, Ind., May 20-22.
