Now that’s how you open a season.
Better than the rest of the field by seven strokes, the Kentucky men’s golf team pulled away for the Wolf Run Intercollegiate crown on Sunday. UK was powered by four players posting top-10 individual finishes to match the team’s best finish at the event in 10 appearances.
Kentucky shot 4-over par for the day and concluded the event at 20-over par. That total was six shots ahead of Miami (OH) who posted a runner-up finish. Central Florida rounded out the top three after carding a +31 during the 54-hole event.
“I am super proud of the guys and their effort this week,” UK head coach Brian Craig said. “Today we bounced back after a tough round yesterday and showed a lot of heart. I am especially proud of Lukas Euler and Matt Liston who both played great and led the way for us. They were both clutch when we needed them.
“This is likely the last collegiate event at Wolf Run, which is one of my all-time favorite golf courses in the world,” Craig added. “It is nice to get the victory to start the year and to possibly close out many wonderful years at Wolf Run.”
There were milestones all around.
Junior Lukas Euler and sophomore Matt Liston both finished inside the top five, easily the best finishes of both of their careers. Senior Evan Cox earned his first top-10 individual finish at Kentucky, while classmate Cooper Musselman found himself among the top-10 leaders for the eighth time in his career.
And should this be the last collegiate event at Wolf Run, the Wildcats will have bookended their first and last appearances with a crown. UK also claimed the trophy at the 2006 tournament, the first time it appeared in the event under Craig’s tutelage.
The team win marked the first tournament victory for the Wildcats since the The Grove Intercollegiate in October of 2015.
Featured Scorecard
Lukas Euler, T3rd, +1
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Total |
| Par | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 71 |
| Rd 1 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 70 |
| Rd 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 75 |
| Rd 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 71 |
Euler enjoyed a consistent weekend for his first career top-five finish. He concluded the week by shooting even par on the final day of play. The Dieburg, Germany, native offset an opening-hole bogey by birding the par-four ninth. Four birdies highlight his round after the turn, including a stretch of three-consecutive red numbers from 15-17.
Player Highlights
Matt Liston, 5th, +3
Liston was magnificent for the Wildcats to notch his first-career top-five finish. The Louisville, Kentucky, native matched Euler’s even-par round during the final 18 holes of play. He was 1-under par through the opening nine holes, before playing the back half of the course at 1-over par. Liston led the Cats on the par-fours for the week and amassed 10 birdies over the 54 holes.
Evan Cox, T7th, +7
Cox was the third Kentucky player to garner his first-ever top-10 finish. Playing as an individual this week, Cox finished the tournament by scoring a 1-over par, 72. A birdie on the par-five 17th enabled him to pick up a stroke and finish off the tournament inside the top 10.
Cooper Musselman, T7th, +7
Musselman posted his eighth career top-10 finish after rebounding from an uncharacteristic second round. The Louisville, Kentucky, native fired a final round of even par behind three birdies after the turn.
Chip McDaniel, T11th, +8
Chip McDaniel was a mere stroke off of becoming the fifth Wildcat in the top 10. McDaniel had a pair of birdies on the back nine, matching a red number on the par-five 17th mirroring Cox’s round.
Junior Fred Allen Meyer tied for 26th following a 77 on day three. Freshman Max Mehles placed in a tie for 41st, while Jacob Cook finished in a tie for 75th.
Upcoming Schedule
Sept. 25-26 Bearcat Invitational Cincinnati, Ohio
Oct. 16-17 Crooked Stick Intercollegiate Carmel, Indiana
Oct. 28-29 Steelwood Collegiate Invitational Loxley, Alabama
Agate
1 – Kentucky (284, 300, 288 -872, +20)
T3– Lukas Euler (70, 75, 71 – 216, +3)
T5 – Matt Liston (74, 73, 71 – 218, +5)
T7 – Cooper Musselman (70, 79, 71 – 220, +7)
*T7 – Evan Cox (75, 73, 72 – 200, +7)
T11 – Chip McDaniel (72, 74, 75 – 221, +8)
T26 – Fred Allen Meyer (72, 78, 77 – 227, +14)
*T41 – Max Mehles (83, 70, 78 – 231, +18)
*T75 – Jacob Cook (77, 83, 80 – 240, +27)
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow @UKMensGolf on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
‑ GO CATS –
For more information contact:
Deb Moore