Wildcats in the Hunt After Round One of SEC Championship
Round One Results
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – On a day where red numbers were hard to come by for the entire field comprised of the top-rated men’s golf conference in the country, the Kentucky men’s golf team concluded round one in terrific position.
The Wildcats fired a 6-over-par, 286, and sit in sixth place out of 14 teams following the opening 18 holes. Two additional rounds will follow in the 54-hole stroke play to determine the eight teams who will move on to match play on Saturday. Kentucky will tee off from the No. 1 hole at 8:20 a.m. ET on Thursday on the Seaside Course of Sea Island Golf Club.
Vanderbilt was the only team on the course to come in under par as the Commodores take a 4-shot lead over Auburn and Tennessee into the second round. LSU is in fourth following a round of 1-over par, while Alabama is just three shots in front of the Cats to round out the top five.
“One of our team attributes is grit and these boys showed grit today,” UK head coach Brian Craig said. “We had a difficult start, but then played really solid the rest of the way in. That was great to see with Chip (McDaniel), Cooper (Musselman) and Lukas (Euler) leading the way. We need to keep doing what we are doing and stay patient. This is a long week.”
Junior Lukas Euler was UK’s top finisher on the afternoon with an even-par 70 on the day. The Dieburg, Germany, native was boosted by three birdies over a seven-hole stretch beginning at the par-four ninth. Euler’s even-par score was the 20th round of the season he has come in at par or better, easily tops on the team. He is tied for 11th overall on the individual leaderboard.
Seniors Chip McDaniel and Cooper Musselman both benefited from strong play on the back nine to card 1-over-par 71s in the opening round. McDaniel had a pair of birdies after the turn, while Musselman posted three red numbers on the back nine. He was 3-under par over the final seven holes of play to head into the second round with momentum. Kentucky’s senior duo is tied for 18th following day one.
Freshman Max Mehles scored a 74 on the opening day and is tied for 44th overall after the first SEC Championship round of his career. Senior Fred Allen Meyer shot a 77 and is 66th overall.
Live stats are available via golfstat.com to follow along with Thursday’s second round.
The Tournament Setup
Teams: No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Florida, No. 9 Auburn, No. 11 LSU, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 19 Kentucky, No. 34 Ole Miss, No. 38 South Carolina, No. 39 Missouri, No. 50 Tennessee, No. 54 Georgia, No. 56 Mississippi State
Course Details: This marks the 18th year for the SEC Championship to be contested on the Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course. The SEC has conducted its annual championship on St. Simons Island since 2001. Since 1927, the Sea Island Golf Club has enjoyed a legacy as one of America’s premier golf clubs.
Rated No. 1 in the U.S. among the “World’s 50 Best Golf Hotels” by Golf Digest Index, Sea Island Golf Club offers three exceptional 18-hole championship courses. The Seaside Course, home to the PGA TOUR’s McGladrey Classic, is a links course graced by majestic ocean vistas in the tradition of St. Andrews.
Originally designed in 1929 by famed architects Harry S. Colt and Charles Alison, the Seaside Course was updated in 1999 by Tom Fazio – earning it a prominent place on Golf Digest’s list of “Top 100 Courses in the United States.”
Format: Three-day, 54-hole event stroke play. Count top four scores each day. Match play for top eight teams beginning on Saturday. Final two play head-to-head in match play on Sunday.
Live Look: Live stats are available via golfstat.com.
Forecast: Thursday (Mostly sunny, high of 77, 10% chance of rain, S 10 mph); Friday (Sunny, high of 79, 10% chance of rain, SW 9 mph)
Agate
6 – Kentucky (286– 286, +6)
T11 – Lukas Euler (70 – 70, E)
T18 – Chip McDaniel (71 – 71, +1)
T18 – Cooper Musselman (71 – 71, +1)
T44 – Max Mehles (74 – 74, +4)
66 – Fred Allen Meyer (77 – 77, +7)
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow @UKMensGolf on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
