Cats Post Best Score Since 2021, Place Fourth at Mason Rudolph
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – It was a monumental Saturday for Kentucky men’s golf as the Wildcats finished off the Mason Rudolph Championship in fourth place with a 54-hole score of 840 (-12), the program’s best total since 2021 and sixth-lowest dating back to the 2001-02 season.
Jack Schoenberger and Jansen Preston placed inside the top 10 individually at Vanderbilt Legends Club’s South Course (par 71, 7114 yards), and the Wildcats had their first tournament with all three rounds below par under second-year head coach Gator Todd.
“So proud of our guys this week,” Todd said. “We talked about attitude and locking in mentally and I thought our entire group did an outstanding job in that regard. Jack and Jansen had huge weeks and both really stepped up today. They both came out hot, making several birdies early, and they were able to carry that momentum into the final round.”
The day began with teams finishing up their second rounds, which had been halted due to darkness on Friday. Round two was a fruitful one for the Wildcats, who had their best 18-hole score since The Old Town Club Collegiate in September of 2021 with a total of 276 (-8). That number was powered by matching cards of 65 (-6) from both Schoenberger and Preston, the first pair of Kentucky teammates to shoot 65 or better in the same round since Garrett Wood and Jacob Cook did so at that same Old Town Club Collegiate. Schoenberger’s 65 featured an incredible nine birdies, including four in-a-row on holes Nos. 15-18. Preston’s, meanwhile, was a new career-best round by three shots and was a bogey-free effort.
The top two Cats continued to lead the way in the third and final round of competition, once again both carding rounds in the 60s, Schoenberger with a 67 (-4) and Preston a 69 (-2). UK would post a 281 (-3) in round three, vaulting into solo fourth place.
Schoenberger, a junior transfer from Belmont, ended the tournament with his best finish as a Wildcat, tying for fourth in the 81-player field at 11-under par overall (202). That mark ties for the sixth-lowest 54-hole score by a Kentucky Wildcat dating back to the 2001-02 season. The native of Alpharetta, Georgia had 17 birdies on the week, tied for the third most in the field, and played the final 18 holes without a bogey. He was 7-under for the week on par 4s, tying for the top mark in the field. Schoenberger has signed for par-or-better in all 12 of his rounds this spring and now has three straight top 10s.
“Jack is continuing to play closer and closer to his potential,” Todd said. “I think he did a great job limiting his mistakes this week.”
Preston’s 54-hole output of 206 (-7) was the best of his collegiate career by four shots. Returning to familiar grounds, the Vanderbilt transfer picked up the first top 10 of his college career on his old home course. The UK senior made just five bogeys in the tournament and was 1-under on par 3s for the week, tying for the fifth-best par-3 scoring average in the field.
“Jansen has looked really solid at home and just hasn’t taken it out on the road until this week,” Todd said. “Sometimes it’s hard to go through that door, and I think this week should give him a lot of confidence. When he’s going and playing to his standards, we’re a different team.”
The Wildcats’ freshmen trio of Jacob Settles, Jacob Lang and Gavin Clutts all tied for 47th place at 5-over par for the championship. Settles was a counting-score in all three rounds for Kentucky. Individual competitor Michael Hake ended the weekend tied for 62nd at 8-over par.
Auburn won the 14-team tournament with a 38-under par total, while Vanderbilt’s Wells Williams was the individual champion at 15-under.
UK will have one final event prior to the Southeastern Conference Tournament, as the Cats head to West Virginia for the Mountaineer Invitational April 14-15.
Leaderboard
T4: Jack Schoenberger (70-65-67)
T10: Jansen Preston (72-65-69)
T47: Jacob Settles (71-74-73)
T47: Jacob Lang (70-75-73)
T47: Gavin Clutts (74-72-72)
T62: Michael Hake* (75-73-73)
Bold = Counting score
*Individual
For the latest on UK Men’s Golf follow the Wildcats on and Instagram @UKmensgolf, and online at ukathletics.com.
