Kentucky in Second During Incomplete Opening Day
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – The Kentucky men’s golf team opened the spring portion of its 2020-21 season by tying for the 11th-lowest round in the Brian Craig era. Paced by each Wildcat starter finishing with a 1-over-par score or lower, UK shot an 8-under par 276 and enters the final day of action in second place.
After Sunday’s opening round was postponed and the tournament opting for two continuous rounds on Monday, the Wildcats were unable to conclude their second round as darkness fell on the course. All but three teams in the field will resume the second round on Tuesday before concluding the tournament with a final 18 holes.
Play resumes at 8 a.m. ET and live scoring is available via golfstat.com.
Kentucky trailed Wake Forest by nine shots following the opening 18 holes and the Wildcats were four shots better than East Tennessee State who is in third. The Wildcats are seeking their first top-three finish of the season and the first since placing third at the Bearcat Invitational in 2019.
Senior Allen Hamilton paced the scoring for Kentucky during the opening round. He birdied his first hole and played the first round of the spring season at 5-under par. The 67 scorecard matches Hamilton’s career-low round and it is the first sub-70 score of the season for the Louisville, Kentucky, native. He was 2-under par over his first nine holes and then picked up birdies on three of four holes between No. 14-17 to finish the round. After the first 18 holes, he was tied for third on the individual leaderboard.
Sophomore Cooper Parks was tied for sixth on the leaderboard after a round of 68 to begin his week. The score marked a career low and was two shots better than his previous career best. Parks was 3-under over his opening nine holes which included back-to-back birdies at the par-five eighth and the par-three ninth as he made the turn. He picked up one more birdie at the par-five 12th for his 4-under round.
Graduate student Reid Bedell, making his first appearance of the season for Kentucky, tied for 16th through 18 holes with a round of 2-under par. Bedell began his UK career in stylish fashion with a birdie on the opening hole. He yielded the shot back at the fourth, before picking up birdies at the No. 5, 8 and 9. He overcame a double-bogey on the back nine with two more birdies at the 14th and 16th holes.
Junior Zach Norris also carded an under-par score with a 1-under 71 and is tied for 27th overall. Norris played even par over his first 10 holes before suffering a bogey at the 11th. He rebounded with birdies at the 12th and 15th to get under par. It is the second consecutive tournament that Norris has opened play by getting under par during the opening round.
Graduate student Jacob Cook was 1-over par with a 73 to begin his week and is tied for 48th on the individual leaderboard.
Sophomore Jackson LaLonde led UK’s individual players with a 2-under par 70 and a tie for 17th through the first 18. Sophomore Jay Kirchdorfer fired a 75 and is tied for 67th, while freshman Hugo Archer scored a round of 80 in his collegiate debut and is in 87th overall.
When play resumes on Tuesday, Norris will have one hole remaining. He owns a 4-under par second round score to this point. Hamilton has two holes to play and is currently 3-over par. Parks matched Hamilton’s round at 3-over and will play three more holes on Tuesday. Bedell shined during the second round with a 6-under score with four holes to play. Cook is 4-under and has five remaining.
With UK’s players ranging from holes No. 13-17, the Wildcats remain in second place and are 10 shots back of Wake Forest but own a five-shot lead over Clemson.
Sophomore Alex Goff completed his round at the Genesis Open Collegiate Showcase with a round of 5-over-par 76.
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