Aug. 13, 2009

ALVATON, Ky. — After the second round of play in the 2009 Powerbilt Kentucky Open, five current Kentucky golfers sit in the top 30 on the tournament leader board and made the cut to the championship round of the tournament to be played Thursday at The Club at Olde Stone in Alvaton, Ky.

Seniors Jordan Blann and Ben Fuqua led the way for the Wildcats. Blann posted the second lowest round of the day with a 2-under-par 70, finishing the second round of play in a tie for fifth. Fuqua, who entered the second round with a share of fifth place, currently stands in a tie for 19th after a 6-over-par 78 in the second round. Heading into the final round, Blann sits four strokes off the lead while Fuqua is eight shots behind former Open Champions Keith Orr and Matt Savage.

Also in contention at the Open are senior Derek Oldham and incoming freshman Cody Martin. Oldham, who posted a 2-over-par 74 in the first round, posted a 77 in the second round of play. Martin, who finished second in the Kentucky Junior Amateur earlier this summer, scored a 73 in the first round before his 6-over-par 78 Wednesday. Both players sit at 151 after the first two rounds of golf, good for a tie for 21st with six other golfers.

Sophomore Chase Carpenter is the final UK golfer to make the cut finishing the first two rounds in a tie for 29th place. Carpenter posted a 3-over-par 75 in the first round Tuesday and scored just two strokes more in the second round to advance to the Championship round.

Carpenter will be the first Wildcat to tee off in the Championship round on Thursday with a tee time of 11:20 a.m. ET. The native of Saylersville, Ky., played in two events for the Wildcats last season posting a season stroke average of 80.67 with a 18 hole low of 78.

Oldham and Martin are in the same final pairing and will tee off right after Carpenter at 11:30 a.m. Oldham, a native of Lexington, Ky. finished the 2008-09 season playing in three events for Kentucky. Oldham ended the season with a 78.67 season stroke average and a low 18 hole round of 74. The senior’s best finish of the year was a tie for 27th place at the Jacksonville University Invitational.

Martin, who has the ability to make an immediate impact with Kentucky as a freshman, has had an impressive summer. The native of Union, Ky., finished in a tie for 26th place at the Kentucky State Amateur along with finishing second at the Kentucky Junior Amateur. Martin qualified for the Open with an impressive 5-under-par 67, tied for the lowest round of the Lakeside Golf Course qualifier back in July.

Fuqua, a native of Danville, Ky., will be in one of the final groupings of the day with a tee time of 11:50 a.m. Fuqua, who has had an impressive summer so far with a good finish at The Players Amateur and a top four finish at the Kentucky-Am, will be Kentucky’s top returning golfer this season. The 2009 U.S. Amateur qualifier played in all 12 tournaments for Kentucky last season and was voted by the team as the most improved player. Fuqua posted a stroke average of 73.47 last season, the second lowest on the team, as well as gathering Kentucky’s lone individual tournament win of the season at the Mason Rudolph intercollegiate. Fuqua finished the 2008-09 season for Kentucky with three top 10 and four top 20 finishes.

Blann, who could have easily been considered the favorite heading into the tournament with his success this summer, will be in the second to last group of the day in the Championship round at 12:40 p.m. The Bowling Green, Ky., native, has already gathered one of the most prestigious tournament trophies in Kentucky golf by winning the Kentucky Amateur tournament in June. The Kentucky senior has also consistently been in first in the 2009 Kentucky Golf Association Player of the Year rankings. Last year for UK, Blann played in 11 tournaments posting a 74.48 season stroke average and posting the lowest 18 holes of golf of the season for Kentucky with his 7-under-par 64 at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate.

Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for the final results of the Kentucky Open and the most up-to-date information on the UK golf team.