Five Wildcats in Red Figures on Day 1 of Schenkel Invitational
STATESBORO, Ga. – Five Wildcats finished under-par, including four in the starting lineup, as Kentucky men’s golf began the Schenkel Invitational with a 7-under team total of 281 on Friday at Forest Heights Country Club. UK finds itself in third place among the 14-team field, four shots off the pace set by both Middle Tennessee State and Florida.
Graduate Alex Goff, a Haskins Award Spring Watch List member, led the way for Kentucky with a 4-under round of 68 which featured a team-high six birdies. Goff, who has finished inside the top-15 in eight consecutive events, is in fifth place individually after 18 holes. The 4-under par total was his best score relative to par this spring.
Jansen Preston, Oakley Gee, Kevin Watts and Jackson Lalonde joined their teammate in red figures, all four ending the day in a tie for 17th at 1-under par.
Preston, a junior transfer, birdied two of his final three holes to shoot his third-straight under-par score dating back to last month’s Gators Invitational.
After playing his first 13 holes in 3-over, redshirt freshman Oakley Gee responded with four-straight birdies on Nos. 14-17 to turn his day around and post an opening 71. It marked the third under-par round of the Illinois’ native’s career.
Making his first start this spring, sophomore Kevin Watts carded an eagle on No. 7 (par 5, 549 yards), before birding three of his last four holes, turning in a 1-under round of 71. Watts’ 33 on Forest Heights’ inward nine was the lowest nine-hole score of the day for the Wildcats and was fueled by birdies on three of the final four holes.
Teeing it up as an individual, fifth-year Jackson Lalonde birdied all four par 5s en route to a 71 of his own, his first round of par or better in 2023-24 and the sixth of his collegiate career.
Senior Campbell Kremer finished the day at 5-over and in a tie for 69th.
Kentucky’s starting lineup totaled 18 birdies collectively, with Lalonde adding another five as an individual. UK’s par 4 scoring average of 4.00 was in the best in the field on day one, led by the efforts of Goff and Gee who were both 2-under on the par 4s.
Round two will be played tomorrow beginning at 9 a.m. off hole Nos. 1 and 10. Fans can follow along with live scoring on Golfstat.
Kentucky Results:
5: Alex Goff (68)
T17: Oakley Gee (71)
T17: Jansen Preston (71)
T17: Kevin Watts (71)
T17: Jackson Lalonde (71)*
T69: Campbell Kremer (77)
*Individual
Bold = Counting score
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