Sophomore Lukas Euler and junior Evan Cox both carded 1-under par scores and are tied for 12th through 36 holes of play at the Gary Koch Invitational to pace the Wildcats in the opening day of competition on Monday. The duo will look to move into the top 10 of the individual leaderboard and are just one stroke off that pace. Kentucky sits in ninth place heading into the final 18 holes of play on Tuesday.
About the lineup:
Euler led the starting lineup with rounds of 71 and 72. His opening round featured five combined birdies and he played the front nine at 1-under par. He maintained that consistency through the second round and finished at even par. Birdies on the 17th and 18th highlighted his second 18 holes of play.
Cox, playing as an individual, shot at 73 to begin the day, but then utilized a UK-best 2-under par, 70, during the second round. His second round featured eight birdies – including three straight on 16, 17 and 18 to finish the day in stylish fashion.
Junior Cooper Musselman is tied for 34th after carding rounds of 73 and 74. An eagle on the par-five No. 1 was the featured part of his second round. He had three birdies during the opening 18 holes of play.
Chip McDaniel is tied for 41st overall. He fired a 78 to begin the day, but bounced back in a big way with a 1-under 71 during the second round. McDaniel played 3-under par on the front nine which included four birdies in a five-hole span from the first to the fifth.
Freshman Matt Liston, also playing as an individual, is tied for 47th behind rounds of 77 and 73. He had a combined four birdies during Monday’s action. Sophomore Fadhli Soetarso sits in a tie for 53rd after producing a 75 and 76 in the grueling day with 36-holes of action.
Senior Stephen Stallings is tied for 65th, while redshirt freshman Fred Allen Meyer is in a tie for 69th.
The Tournament Field:
No. 20 Auburn leads the field at 17-under par through 36 holes of play. NC State is second following a 12-under score. The remainder of the field is over par. Georgia Southern (+5), Coastal Carolina (+5), No. 13 Virginia (+8) and Louisiana-Monroe (+8) round out the top five.
Kentucky is in ninth place after posting rounds of 295. The Wildcats are in contention of a top-five finish after concluding the day just six strokes off the pace of the Cavaliers and ULM.
About the Course:
The 18-hole “Gaston” course at the Gaston Country Club facility in Gastonia, North Carolina features 7,042 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. The course rating is 74.4 and it has a slope rating of 135 on Bermuda grass. Designed by Ellis Maples, the Gaston golf course opened in 1958.
Gaston Country Club
Gastonia, N.C.
April 10-11
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,042
9 – Kentucky (295, 295; 590 – +14)
T12 – Lukas Euler (71, 72; 143 – -1)
*T12 – Evan Cox (73, 70; 143 – -1)
T34 – Cooper Musselman (73, 74; 147 – +3)
T41 – Chip McDaniel (78, 71; 149 – +5)
*T47 – Matt Liston (77, 73; 150 – +6)
*T53 – Fadhli Soetarso (75, 76; 151 – +7)
T65 – Stephen Stallings (75, 78; 153 – +9)
T69 – Fred Allen Meyer (76, 78; 154 -+10)
* competing as individual
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow @UKMensGolf on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
Deb Moore
Assistant Media Relations Director
University of Kentucky
Men’s Basketball, Volleyball, Men’s Golf