March 28, 2010

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky men’s golf team used two top-20 scores from senior Jordan Blann and sophomore Mads Kristensen to sit ninth overall after day one of the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate on Sunday. The Wildcats posted a 15-over-par score of 299 in the opening round and sit only eight strokes out of the top five.

Kentucky was led by Blann and Kristensen in the first round with both players posting 2-over-par 73 scores to sit in a tie for 17th. Blann, a native of Bowling Green, Ky., posted three birdies on the day with all three coming on the front-nine. The senior shot a ¬team-low even-par on the back-nine by posting an eagle on the par-4 16th hole.

Kristensen carded two birdies in the first round by birdying the par-4 ninth and 18th. The native of Denmark, Kristensen shot a 1-over-par on the front- and back-nine to claim the top-20 finish. The sophomore is one of only two UK players to record a birdie on the back-nine.

Junior Brian Belden and senior Ben Fuqua carded top-50 scores for the Wildcats, sitting tied for 42nd and 48th respectively. Belden posted one birdie in the opening round to score a 5-over-par 76. The native of Emmaus, Pa., joins Kristensen as one of only two Cats to post a birdie on the back-nine. Fuqua shot a 6-over-par 77 in the first round with two birdies.

Freshman Chase Parker finishes off the UK rotation by scoring an 8-over-par 79 with one birdie in the first round. Parker, a native of Augusta, Ga., sits in a tie for 59th.
 
LSU leads the tournament with a 288 in the first round while North Carolina State’s Matt Hill is on top of the individual leaderboard with a 3-under-par 68 to start the tournament.

Play continues Monday morning with the second round. The third and final round will be played on Tuesday. Live stats will be available on ukathletics.com through golfstat.com.