Oct. 26, 2008

After the first 18 holes at the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational the Kentucky men’s golf team sits in a tie for ninth after a 11-over par, following the team-leading, even-par performances by seniors Andy Winings (Brownsburg, Ind.) and Ben Fuqua (Danville, Ky.).

Southeastern Conference foe Alabama leads the elite field of teams after firing a one-under par. At four-under par Alabama’s Matthew Swan and Indiana’s Jorge Campillo are both tied for the tournament individual leader.

The experience of both Wildcat seniors, Fuqua and Winings, is paying dividends as they lead UK with an even-par 72. Winings had a very balanced round with two birdies and two bogeys in the first 18 holes while shooting a par on every other hole. Fuqua rebounded from a slow start by sinking three birdies in the last six holes of the front nine. In Fuqua’s back nine he traded off two bogeys and two birdies while hitting for par on the remaining five holes. Both Winings and Fuqua are tied for seventh.

Junior Alex Volpenhein (Edgewood, Ky.), junior Jordan Blann (Bowling Green, Ky.) and freshman Mads Kristensen (Denmark) are tied for 47th, tied for 73rd and 81st, respectively.

The last Wildcat to shoot an even-par 72 in the opening round of the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational was J.B. Holmes in 2004.

Through three tournaments this fall, Kentucky has averaged a 73.66 team stroke average. The fall 2008-09 season has brought Kentucky two top-five outings with a season-opening fourth-place finish at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate behind Winings tie for second place. The Wildcats followed their season kickoff with a second-place performance at the Mason Rudolph Intercollegiate after Fuqua demolished the field firing a 15-under par and beating his nearest competitor by seven strokes on his way to earning the Southeastern Conference Player of The Month for September.

The Wildcats return to the track tomorrow at 8 a.m. ET for the second 18 holes.