April 19, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – With the Kentucky men’s golf 2011-12 regular season schedule now in the books, the Wildcats will turn their attention to the Southeastern Conference Men’s Golf Championship held Friday-Sunday for the 12th straight year in St. Simons Island, Ga.
The 2012 tournament will be held on the Seaside Course (par 70, 6,898 yards) at the Sea Island Golf Club for the 10th time in the last 12 years. The Wildcats won the SEC Championship on the Seaside Course in 2005.
“This is the SEC Championship and is what we have been working and preparing for all year,” UK head coach Brian Craig said. “We enjoy playing at Sea Island Golf Club, we know the course and we are ready for the challenge. Each year the SEC Championship features some of the best teams in the country. We just need to focus on what we can control, give our very best effort and then live with the results.”
Representing the Cats this weekend will be sophomore Cody Martin, junior Chase Parker, freshman David Snyder, junior Joseph Barr and sophomore Stephen Powers.
Martin has led Kentucky this year with a team-best scoring average of 73.13. In 11 tournaments played, Martin has recorded 12 rounds of even- or under-par en route to a team-high six top-20 finishes, including three top-five finishes.
Snyder, who has the second-best scoring average on the team at 73.69, joins Barr and Parker with three top-20 finishes. Snyder’s best tournament of the year came at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate in Awendaw, S.C., finishing in a tie for second-place at 4-under-par (212).
Barr and Parker each hold 18-hole scoring averages of 73.73 and had their best finishes of the year come at the Bearcat Invitational where they finished in a tie for third.
Powers has started for the Cats in each tournament this year, recording nine rounds of even- or under-par and two top-20 finishes.
Live results from each round of the tournament will be available at UKathletics.com.
Five teams from the SEC are ranked in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin top 25, including No. 2 Alabama, No. 4 Auburn, No. 9 Arkansas, No. 17 LSU and No. 23 Florida. Georgia checks in just outside of the top 25 this week at No. 26.
The SEC Men’s Golf Championship has been played at Sea Island since 2001. During that time, Georgia has five championships, Florida has won two, while Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee have each won one conference title.
Kentucky finished ninth last year at 45-over-par. Parker led Kentucky with a 12th-place-finish after a 5-over-par, 215. Powers also had a top-20 finish, coming in a tie for 19th. Florida (8-over-par, 848) won last year’s tournament with a six-stroke victory over second-place Alabama. Florida’s Andres Echavarria (1-under-par, 209) defeated LSU’s John Peterson in a playoff to take home the individual crown.
For more Kentucky men’s golf news and information, including daily recaps and results from the SEC Men’s Golf Championship, follow the Wildcats on Twitter at “UKmensgolf” and go to UKathletics.com.
2012 SEC Men’s Golf Championship
Sea Island Golf Club – Seaside Course
Par 70 – 6,898 yards
Lineup
Cody Martin
Chase Parker
David Snyder
Joseph Barr
Stephen Powers
