LEXINGTON, Ky. — The 53rd-ranked Kentucky men?s golf team will look for its first SEC championship this weekend since 2005 when it returns to action, Apr. 18-20, at the Southeastern Conference Championships. The three-day event will take place at the Frederica Golf Club in St. Simon?s Island, Ga.
?The SEC Golf Championship is the best championship in all of golf,? Brian Craig said. ?The Frederica Golf Club is a superb test of golf and will and will most likely have the fastest and most difficult greens that we have played all year.?
Representing UK this weekend will be seniors Cale Barr (Versailles, Ky.) and Brad Doster (Winter Park, Fla.), junior Andy Winings (Brownsburg, Ind.) and sophomores Brian Belden (Emmaus, Pa.) and Alex Volpenhein (Ft. Mitchell, Ky.).
The Wildcats finished fourth last week in the inaugural UK Bluegrass Invitational after junior Andy Winings finished fourth overall and Brian Beleden, competing as an individual, came in second after a playoff loss.
The Wildcats are ranked 53rd in the latest poll according to Golfstat.com and will face elite competition this weekend. Fellow ranked SEC schools include No. 1 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia, No. 9 Florida, No. 10 South Carolina, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 15 Auburn and No. 21 Ole Miss.
?This year?s league is by far the best Division One golf in the nation. We are looking forward to the challenge of playing our best golf of the season,? Craig said.
Playing against top caliber competition has been the mantra for the Cats this entire spring season after every tournament they have played in has showcased several top-25 teams. UK has finished in the top-five three times this spring season including a first-place finish at the Pat Hicks Invitational and a second-place finish at the Palmas Del Mar Intercollegiate.
Kentucky will be led by Winings who has started every tournament for Cats this spring. He has been red hot this spring finishing in the top-20 five out of six tournaments including shooting a career low, 67, at the Hootie at Bulls Bay and winning the Palmas Del Mar Intercollegiate.
Cale Barr has also started every round and his season?s best performance came at the Pat Hicks Invitational where he finished tied for 13th after carding a four-under-par 67 on the first day.
Brian Belden looks to keep his streak of not shooting a round out of the 70?s this spring while in Georgia to be a solid contributor for Kentucky.
Alex Volpenhein will get his second start of the year after starting last week for the Cats at the UK Bluegrass Invitational and Brad Doster continues his record of starting every tournament. His best finish came at the Palmas Del Mar Intercollegiate finished tied for 16th.
Built in 2005 the Frederica Golf Club is a traditional par-72, 7,217 yard course designed as a collaboration between Tom Fazio, one of the world?s most respected golf course architects, and Sir Michael Bonallack, former secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.
Complete coverage of this week’s championship can be found on www.ukathletics.com.
