In another remarkable individual tournament performance, Kentucky senior Alex Goff secured a solo second place at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship on Friday. The event took place at the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Goff’s 8-under-par 202 earned him the eighth-best 54-hole total in the history of the SEC Championship.
Competing against a formidable field, the Kings Mountain, North Carolina native carded three sub-70 rounds. Tennessee’s Caleb Surratt emerged victorious with a 14-under 196 total, while Texas A&M’s Phichaksn Maichon secured third place at 7-under-par.
Goff expressed pride in representing Kentucky in the prestigious SEC Championship. Although he did not secure the top spot, he found encouragement in his close finish amid a highly competitive field.
Goff’s solo second place is one of the best SEC Championship finishes in Kentucky’s history. Notable past performances at the Seaside Course, which has hosted the event since 2001, include Tyler “Chip” McDaniel’s second-place finish in 2016, J.B. Holmes’ third place in 2005, and David Snyder’s fifth place in 2014.
As a team, Kentucky finished 13th at 14-over-par. Despite their final round performance of 3-over 283, they could not advance to match play due to their 10-over 290 opening round. Head coach Brian Craig expressed disappointment with the team’s opening round, but praised their resilience and determination throughout the remaining rounds.
Goff’s performance showcased his consistency, as he scored a 3-under 67 in the opening round, a 2-under 68 in the second, and another 3-under 67 in the final round. His 15 birdies were the second-most in the field, and he tied for second in par 4-scoring at 6-under.
Craig praised Goff’s performance, acknowledging his leadership and solid performance throughout the tournament. Goff’s teammate, Garrett Wood, also received commendation for his play, despite not scoring as well as expected.
The SEC Championship marks Goff’s fourth top 10 and eighth top 20 finish of the season, with a total of nine top 10 and 20 top 20 finishes in his career. He has two solo second finishes, a tie for second, and a tie for third this season alone.
Wood, a graduate student, carded a 1-under 69 in the final round, finishing in a tie for 16th place. This marks his fifth top 20 finish this year and the 21st of his career.
The NCAA Division I Men’s Golf selection show is scheduled for May 3 on Golf Channel, where a total of 81 teams and the top 45 individuals not on advancing teams will be selected for participation.
