AUGUSTA, Ga. — Former Kentucky standout golfer J.B. Holmes is tied for the 34th in his first appearance at the prestigious Masters tournament after shooting one-over-par on the first day Thursday.
Holmes? impressive first Masters outing included firing 13 pars and knocking down two birdies throughout the day, including a giant 326-yard drive on the par-four fifth hole. Known for his long stick off the tee box, Holmes is averaging 303.50 yards per drive and was able to find 10 of 14 fairways today.
?It was only a matter of time until we saw J.B. playing in the Masters,? UK coach Brian Craig said. ?He is a fantastic player whose game is very well suited for this kind of course and I am not surprised at all to see him right in the mix of things after the first day of play. It really is great to see a Kentucky player represented in one of the strongest golf traditions among the best golfers in the world.?
Holmes kicked off his PGA career in 2006 when he won his inaugural professional tournament at the PBR Open, becoming only the ninth player in PGA history to open their tour career with a tournament victory. In 2006, he shot a 14-under par to win the event, firing his professional career-best 64 in the second round. He has also had four top-10 finishes, three of which were in 2007, since joining the PGA and he has become a multi-million dollar earner on the tour. This year he again won the FBR Open when he tattooed the course shooting a 14-under-par and defeating PGA Tour veteran Phil Mickelson in a one-hole playoff.
Holmes stellar college career included earning All-Southeastern Conference honors in 2002, 2003 and 2004, as well as being named the SEC Golfer of the Year in 2005 after helping lead the Wildcats to a SEC Championship that year. During his time at Kentucky, Holmes was also honored as the team MVP every year of his collegiate career. While in college, Holmes was also a consistent performer in the classroom, becoming an academic All-American in 2005 and he was on the Academic All-SEC team from 2002-2005.
ESPN will cover tomorrow?s second round live beginning at 4 P.M. ET.
