McDaniel Finishes Second at Chattanooga Choo Choo Invite
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – With three rounds
in the 60s, sophomore Tyler ‘Chip’ McDaniel finished second overall at the Chattanooga
Choo Choo Invitational to highlight his summer of amateur play.
McDaniel had a tournament score of 13-under
par (203) and finished just two strokes off the leader. The Manchester, Ky.,
native logged a final round of 6-under par (66) to cap the tournament in style.
To open the tournament, McDaniel logged a
3-under par (69). His opening round featured six birdies, nine pars and three
bogeys. He was even-par on Par 3 holes, 1-over par on Par 4 holes and a
blistering 4-under par on Par 5s. He capped the round with a birdie on No. 18.
McDaniel bettered his score on day two with a
4-under par (68). The round featured six birdies and 10 pars. He was under par
on Par 4s and 5s. McDaniel posted four birdies on the back nine to make his
push into contention.
During the final round of play, McDaniel saved
his best golf for last. UK’s sophomore notched an eagle on No. 8, a par 4 hole,
to ignite his round. He logged three more birdies on the back nine, including
birdieing the final hole for the third consecutive round. He finished the day
at 6-under for a total score of 66. McDaniel was a combined 11-under par on Par
5 holes for the week.
The 2015 Chattanooga Choo Choo Invitational included
90 amateur players from all parts of the world and featured players from the
state of Tennessee and the Southeastern Region.
The Invitational was played at the Council
Fire Golf Club. A par 72 and 6,999 yards course, it sits in the valley of the
Tennessee Mountains. Designed by Bob Cupp in 1992, the course features etched-out
bunkers, large and undulating greens, and tight, heavy rough.
McDaniel had a magnificent start to his
collegiate career in 2014-15. He started all 11 tournaments for the Wildcats
and ranked second on the team with a 72.12 scoring average. He notched 17 par
or better rounds over 33 total rounds played. An All-Southeastern Conference
Freshman team selection, McDaniel paced the Wildcats with an 11th place finish
at the Conference Championship.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow @UKMensGolf on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
