Spring Slate Begins for Men’s Golf at Watersound Invitational
PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Kentucky men’s golf competes for the first time this spring as the Wildcats head south for the Watersound Invitational this Monday through Wednesday at the Watersound Club’s Third Course (par 71, 7,252 yards).
A total of 12 teams are set to tee it up, including six from the Southeastern Conference. No. 3 Vanderbilt, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 11 Alabama headline a strong field for the 54-hole event. Teams will play 18 holes each day, beginning with a shotgun start each morning.
The Wildcats will be paired with Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and UConn for the first round with play scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET. Live scoring can be found on the Scoreboard Powered by Clippd website.
Kentucky opens the spring at No. 51 in the Scoreboard Powered by Clippd rankings, hoping to return to NCAA Regionals for the first time since 2022. The Wildcats posted a 287.2 (+3.2) team scoring average across four events this fall, highlighted by a runner-up finish at their home tournament, the Cullan Brown Collegiate.
Freshman Cole Stockard won the individual title at the Cullan, becoming the first UK event winner since Alex Goff won the Blessings Collegiate in October of 2020 and the first freshman to secure a victory since Chip McDaniel at the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational during the 2014-15 season.
Sophomore Jacob Lang registered the best scoring average in the starting lineup for UK across the fall slate at 71.81 over 11 rounds.
Both Lang and Stockard will be in the lineup this week, along with Jack Schoenberger, Luke Coyle and Jacob Settles. It will be the third tournament with this starting five for the Wildcats this season. Freshman Cameron Phillips will also make the trip, competing as an individual.
This will mark the second consecutive season competing at the Watersound Invitational for Kentucky. Last year, the Cats tied for eighth at 1-under par total, with Lang finishing as UK’s low individual at 4-under par and in a tie for 12th.
The Watersound Invitational is the first of five regular season events for Kentucky this spring prior to the 2026 SEC Championship, April 22-26, at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga.
Kentucky Lineup:
- Jack Schoenberger: Senior, Alpharetta, Ga
- Luke Coyle: Junior, Campbellsville, Ky.
- Jacob Lang: Sophomore, Alvaton, Ky.
- Jacob Settles: Sophomore, Winchester, Ky.
- Cole Stockard: Freshman, Dalton, Ga.
Ind. Cameron Phillips: Freshman, Portsmouth, Ohio
Competing Schools (12): Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Navy, Ohio State, Ole Miss, TCU, UConn, Vanderbilt
For the latest on UK Men’s Golf follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram @UKmensgolf, and online at ukathletics.com.
