Feb. 21, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky men’s golf team is set to begin the spring portion of its 2010-11 schedule when it competes in the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate at Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Mobile, Ala., starting Monday morning.
“We are excited to get the spring season started,” head coach Brian Craig said. “I think the guys have done a good job of preparing themselves during the winter months and we look forward to seeing their progress out on the course.”
Kentucky sends a strong rotation to the event, including senior Brian Belden, who earned Southeastern Conference Fall Honor Roll honors this fall with impressive play. The native of Emmaus, Pa., played in all five events for UK during the fall campaign, scoring a team low 72.54 season stroke average with one top-10 finish and four top-20 finishes. The senior has carded a top-20 score in four-consecutive events.
Joseph Barr and Chase Parker will fill the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the rotation. Barr also had a good fall season for UK, finishing with more top-10 finishes than anyone on the team with two. The native of Versailles, Ky., best finish came at the Philly Big 5 Invitational, where he earned second-place honors. Parker enters the spring season having played in all five fall tournaments with a season stroke average of 74. The native of Augusta, Ga., was named to the SEC All-Freshman team a year ago.
Freshman Stephen Powers and sophomore Seth Blann conclude the UK rotation. Powers, a native of Naperville, Ill., played in three fall events for UK, notching a season stroke average of 76.57. Powers’ best finish came at the Hummingbird Intercollegiate, where he finished tied for 27th. Blann played in all five fall events with a season stroke average of 76.46.
As a team, Kentucky is coming off a solid fall season that saw the Wildcats score two top-three finishes. UK finished tied for third at the Philly Big 5 Invite and then concluded the fall season with a third-place showing at the Hummingbird Intercollegiate.
Kentucky is familiar with the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate and Magnolia Grove Golf Course, having played in the event last season.
The 54-hole tournament will begin with 36 holes Monday with a shotgun start at the par-72, 7,212-yard course, with Tuesday’s final round slated to tee off from the first and 10th tees as 9 a.m. ET. Live scores will be available on golfstat.com.
UK will be joined at the event by Akron, Arkansas State, Charlotte, Illinois State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisville, Memphis, Middle Tennessee, Mississippi State, South Alabama, South Florida, Southern Mississippi, Texas-Arlington and Vanderbilt.
For more information on the Kentucky men’s golf team go to UKathletics.com or follow “UKmensgolf” on Twitter.
