All Five Starters Earn Top-25 Finishes as Kentucky Takes Fifth
STATESBORO, Ga. – All five of Kentucky’s starters scored top-25 finishes and the Wildcats utilized a final day push to move into fifth to conclude play at the Schenkel Invitational on Sunday. Kentucky has finished among the top five in the event in each of the last five seasons.
Senior Fred Allen Meyer and junior Matt Liston carded under-par rounds, while seniors Lukas Euler and Max Mehles finished the tournament with an even-par scorecard during Sunday’s final round.
“We are making progress and this was an okay week,” UK head coach Brian Craig said. “I like the direction we are headed and think we are ready for a breakout event. Hopefully, we can do that next week at the Hootie event.”
Kentucky wastes little time in returning to action as it concludes its three tournaments in a 14-day span at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate on March 24.
Meyer charted a 2-under 70 and was the team’s leader during the final 18. He fought off a pair of bogeys through the opening five holes with birdies on the seventh and ninth to make the turn at even par. Birdies at the par-four 10th and the par-three 13th enabled the senior from Nicholasville, Kentucky, to finish in a tie for 16th overall. It’s his second consecutive top-20 finish and the eighth of his career.
“The big positive is this was a total team effort,” Craig added. “All the guys hung in there and played reasonably well for the week. That is huge for our future this spring.”
Senior Max Mehles and freshman Cullan Brown matched Meyer’s tie for 16th. Mehles had a round of even par with a 72. He had three birdies during his final round to offset a few miscues. Brown charted a 1-over 73. He began the day with back-to-back birdies and had another to salvage the top-20 finish with a red number at the par-five 18th. It marks the first top-20 finish of Brown’s career and the fifth for Mehles.
Senior Lukas Euler and junior Matt Liston both tied for 24th. Euler had a round of 72 on Sunday, while Liston went under par with a 1-under, 71. It’s the fourth par-or-better round over his last five rounds. It’s the best finish of the season for Liston, while Euler has placed in the top 25 in every event he’s played this season.
Euler had birdies on three consecutive holes at the sixth, seventh and eighth to highlight his round. Liston birdied the ninth and the 18th to offset one bogey in an otherwise flawless round.
Redshirt freshman Zach Norris finished in a tie for 52nd following a final round of 75.
Georgia Southern, hosts of the tournament, won the team title at 26-under par. East Tennessee State finished second at 13 under. Notre Dame was 3-under par and Mississippi State was one stroke back. Kentucky finished 1-over par and three strokes in front of College of Charleston.
Kentucky resumes action on March 24 at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate. It’s a three-day, 54-hole event. It’ll mark Kentucky’s 15th straight appearance in the event. UK wont the tournament in 2005 and finished third a season ago in its two best finishes.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow @UKMensGolf on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
