May 14, 2013

LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky junior men’s golfer Stephen Powers advanced through the first stage of the 2013 United States Golf Association U.S. Open local qualifying on Monday, after posting a 4-under-par, 68 at the Maketewah Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio. The course is a par-72 and has a 6,855 yard layout.
    
Powers’ score of 4-under-par won the event and he will move on to sectional qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes at 11 U.S. sites on June 3. For the ninth consecutive year, Japan and England will host international qualifying, both scheduled for May 27.
    
If Powers can advance through sectional qualifying, he will play in The U.S. Open which will be held for the fifth time at Merion Golf Club, in Ardmore, Pa. Olin Dutra (1934), Ben Hogan (1950), Lee Trevino (1971) and David Graham (1981) are past champions at Merion. To be eligible, a player must have a USGA Handicap Index® not exceeding 1.4, or be a professional

The Naperville, Ill., native leads Kentucky with four top-10 finishes on the year and has helped lead the Wildcats to their seventh NCAA Regional under head coach Brian Craig. Powers has competed in all 11 tournaments this season for UK and is second on the team in stroke average at 74.30. The junior fired the low round of the year for the Wildcats with a 6-under-par, 66 at the Saint Mary’s Invitational and has placed in the top-20 a team-high five times.

Kentucky will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., this week to compete in the 2013 NCAA Regional, May 16-18 at The Blessing Golf Club.

For more information on the University of Kentucky men’s golf team please visit UKathletics.com and follow on twitter @UKMensGolf.