April 10, 2009
Kentucky Men’s Golf Team Competes in Regular-Season Finale Winings leads Kentucky with a 73.03 stroke average heading into UK Bluegrass Invitational
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Welcoming the friendly confines of its home course, the Kentucky men’s golf team is set for action in its regular-season finale for the second annual UK Bluegrass Invitational. The Wildcats, led by No. 60 senior Andy Winings, will face several in-state foes at the University Club (Lexington, Ky.) in hopes of capturing their first tournament win of the spring 2008-09 season.
The tournament format begins with a team breakfast Saturday at 6:30 a.m. EDT before kicking off the first two rounds of play with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Play will resume Sunday morning for the final 18 holes beginning at 8. The awards ceremony is slated for 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The Wildcats come into their season finale ranked 47th in the nation and will compete in a 15-team field that includes 15th-ranked Central Florida. The remaining teams include: Akron, Austin Peay, Bowling Green St., Cincinnati, Dayton, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Lipscomb, Miami, Morehead State, Murray State, Ohio, Toledo, Western Carolina and Western Kentucky.
Kentucky Head Coach Brian Craig calls upon his consistent starting five throughout the 2008-09 spring season. Senior co-captains Winnings and Ben Fuqua will be called upon to anchor the team in their final career regular-season tournament. Junior Jordan Blann, sophomore James Kania and freshman Mads Kristensen round out the starting lineup for the Wildcats for the sixth straight tournament.
In last year’s inaugural UK Bluegrass Invite, the Wildcats finished fourth, powered by Andy Winings’ seven-over par, three-round total of 223. Competing as an individual, then-sophomore Brian Belden finished tied for first after 54 holes with Western Kentucky’s Brent Long before falling in the one-hole playoff.
The teams will compete on the Big Blue Course at the University Club, a 7,018-yard, par-72 track that was designed by internationally renowned golf course architect Arthur Hills. The University Club is complemented by a dozen lakes and ponds, providing players with a beautiful and challenging round of golf. It is UK’s seventh season on the course.
Final scoring can be found on golfstat.com throughout the tournament and a recap of each day’s action can be found on UKathletics.com following the conclusion of play. The tournament is open to the public and admission is free. Fans are encouraged to keep the cell phones off during tournament play and to wear traditional golf attire.
