Men’s Golf Announces Rigorous 2015-16 Schedule
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky men’s golf team
will appear in four fall tournaments and six spring events, head coach Brian
Craig announced on Tuesday. The Wildcats are aiming for a trip to the NCAA
Championships in Eugene, Ore., to highlight Craig’s 15th season at the helm of
the UK program.
“I love this schedule for my team,”
Craig said. “We play absolutely brilliant courses in the fall, including two
that have hosted major championships in The Ocean Course and Crooked
Stick. The spring is loaded with highly competitive fields on excellent
venues as well. My goal is always to build a schedule that will help us
be ready for the SEC and NCAA Championships. We have definitely
accomplished that goal with this year’s competitive schedule and I can’t wait
to get started.”
The fall slate begins Sept. 11-12 at the
Invitational at The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, S.C., followed by a trip to
Kingston Springs, Tenn., to participate in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Challenge
Cup. Tyler ‘Chip’ McDaniel and Cooper Musselman led the way for the Wildcats at
the Invitational at The Ocean Course a season ago. The duo both tied for 14th
in the event. Musselman carded an opening-round 67, while McDaniel closed out
the tournament with a 68 in round three. The trip to Kingston Springs will come
on Sept. 25-27.
Kentucky will play twice in the month of
October beginning with a date in Carmel, Ind., at the Crooked Stick
Intercollegiate, Oct. 12-13. UK then concludes action in the fall months at The
Grove Intercollegiate in College Grove, Tenn. Crooked Stick hosted the 1991 PGA
Championship and the US Women’s Open in 1993.
The Wildcats begin 2016 with a spring training
trip to Palm Beach, Fla., on Jan. 18. UK’s top individual will play at the
Northern Trust Collegiate in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Feb. 15 before the
team kicks off spring competition in late February.
Kentucky will head south of the border Feb.
21-13 to Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Classic. It marks the fourth
consecutive season the Wildcats will travel at least once out of the country.
The Wildcats return to the U.S. for the Tiger Invitational from March 6-8, in Auburn,
Ala., hosted by league-foe Auburn at the Grand National course.
Kentucky will then play at
the Schenkel Invitational from March 18-20, in Statesboro, Ga. It is an event
in which the Wildcats will participate in for the 11th-consecutive season. UK
garnered a fourth place finish in 2015. David Snyder earned a top-10 finish
with a ninth-place showing, while McDaniel was just one stroke off of Snyder’s
score and claimed a tie for 12th at the event.
After the Schenkel Invitational, UK wraps up
regular-season competition in Awendaw, S.C., for the Hootie at Bulls Bay
Intercollegiate on April 3-5. It will mark the 11th consecutive appearance at
the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate for the Wildcats. Snyder and McDaniel
once again led the way for the Wildcats with a fourth and ninth place finish,
respectively. The 207 was the lowest score of the season for Snyder.
Postseason play begins April 15 and runs
through April 17 for the SEC Championship at Seaside Golf Club in St. Simons
Island, Ga. NCAA Regional action runs May 16-18 at three different sites that
will be determined at a later date. The NCAA Championships will take place in Eugene,
Ore., May 27-June 1.
The Wildcats will look to return to postseason
action in 2015-16 with five players returning to the roster who participated in
the SEC Championships a season ago. Craig’s squad also welcomes four new
members to the roster this season – including an international flair with three
players hailing from outside of the country.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow @UKMensGolf on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
