Stockard Wins at Cullan, Wildcats Take Runner-Up
LEXINGTON, Ky. – It took just three career starts for Cole Stockard to win his first collegiate title. The standout freshman birdied his final hole on Tuesday to secure medalist honors at the second annual Cullan Brown Collegiate with a 36-hole total of 6-under par.
The Wildcats earned runner-up honors as a team at 10-under par, one shot behind the team champion, Mississippi State.
“Really proud of our guys this week,” said head coach Gator Todd. “It’s always special playing at home in front of family and friends, especially at a place like Lexington Country Club. We were battling back and forth with Mississippi State and they just made one more play than we did at the end. You learn so much about yourself in high pressure situations and I know our guys got even more from this week than if we would have won.”
The event, hosted by Lexington Country Club (par 71, 7255 yards), was shortened to 36 holes due to heavy rainfall on Tuesday. Golfers were able to finish off their second rounds in the early morning, before play was called in the beginning stages of round three, reverting the scores back to 36-hole totals.
Stockard is the first UK men’s golfer to win an individual title since Alex Goff won the Blessings Collegiate in October of 2020 and the first freshmen to secure a victory since now assistant coach, Chip McDaniel, won the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational during the 2014-15 season.
Coming out on Tuesday morning with two holes to finish in his second round, Stockard went par-birdie, carding a three on his final hole, No. 2 (par 4, 402 yards), despite his tee shot missing well to the right. That birdie would prove to be difference, as Stockard finished one-shot ahead of North Alabama’s Andrew Ferworn and Mississippi State’s Ugo Malcor. The native of Dalton, Ga. made 11 birdies on the week, tied for the most in the 90-player field.
“I am super pumped for Cole,” Todd said. “He played outstanding all week and showed why he is one of the best freshmen in the country.”
The Wildcats as a team were second among the 15 competing schools, their highest finish of the young season. All five UK starters, in addition to their three individuals, finished inside the top 33 on the leaderboard, with no player worse than 1-over par for 36 holes.
Sophomore Gavin Clutts collected a top-10 result for his second consecutive start, placing T-10 at 3-under par courtesy of a second round of 68 (-3). Clutts was T-6 his last time out at the Colonel Classic and now has a scoring average of 69.20 in five rounds this season.
Freshman Cameron Phillips notched his best career result, placing T-14 at 1-under par in his third career-start.
Jack Schoenberger, Jacob Lang and Jacob Settles were all even-par on the tournament and tied for 26th, while Luke Coyle and Charles Cauthen ended proceedings T-33 at 1-over par.
The Cullan Brown Collegiate is named in honor of former Wildcat golfer, Cullan Brown, a member of the Kentucky men’s golf team from 2018-2020 who was tragically lost after a battle with Osteosarcoma. Brown was an All-SEC Freshman Team selection in 2019 following a season in which the Eddyville, Ky. native posted a 72.42 scoring average and four top-20 finishes.
Next up for the Cats as a team is The Williams Cup, hosted by the University of North Carolina, Oct. 19-21 at Eagle Point Golf Club.
Leaderboard:
1: Cole Stockard (66-70)
T10: Gavin Clutts* (71–68)
T14: Cameron Phillips* (69-72)
T26: Jack Schoenberger (71-71)
T26: Jacob Lang (71-71)
T28: Jacob Settles (68-74)
T33: Luke Coyle (73-70)
T33: Charles Cauthen* (72-71)
Bold = Counting Score
*Individual
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