Five members of the University of Kentucky men?s golf team have qualified for the 106th United States Amateur. Cale Barr, Brad Doster, Ben Fuqua, Dan Woltman and Alex Volpenhein will all take part in the prestigious tournament which will be played August 21-27 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.
?For this team to have five players qualify for the U.S. Amateur is quite an accomplishment and a testament to the work our guys have put in over the summer,? said UK head coach Brian Craig. ?Hopefully, this will be a preview of the caliber of team we have this season as we strive to win a national championship.?
Kentucky natives Barr and Fuqua each advanced to the championship after qualifying at Olde Stone Golf Club in Bowling Green, Ky., in late July. Barr finished second with a score of 147, while Fuqua was fourth with a total of 149.
Incoming freshman Alex Volpenhein finished second in his Qualifying Round at Coldstream Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Ft. Mitchell, Ky., native finished with a total score of 140, two strokes behind winner Wes Homan.
Woltman captured the Wisconsin State Amateur title in a sudden-death playoff at the Mascoutin Golf Club in Berlin Wisc. Woltman, who finished the tournament with a 4-under-par 284, trailed the tournament?s leader by seven strokes with 17 holes remaining in the tournament. On the final 17 holes, Woltman made two eagles and three birdies to force the sudden-death playoff. Woltman made par on the playoff hole and captured the tournament title and a berth in the U.S. Amateur.
Rising junior Brad Doster earned the fifth Wildcat berth with his performance at Stonewall Country Club in Elverson, Pa. Doster shot rounds of 69-68 for a 36-hole total of 137. That total was good enough to place him in a sudden death playoff, where he defeated Michael McDermott on the second playoff hole.
The U.S. Amateur, the oldest USGA championship, was first played in 1895 at Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island. The event, which has no age restriction, is open to those with a Handicap Index of 2.4 or lower. It is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
The Championship begins with stroke play on Monday, Aug. 21, followed by a second round on Tuesday, Aug. 22. The format moves to match play on Wednesday, Aug. 23, and continues with two rounds of match play on Thursday, Aug. 24. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds are set for Aug. 25 and 26, respectively. The final round of 36 holes is set for Sunday, Aug. 27, at Hazeltine.
