The Kentucky men’s golf team slid into the top tier of the leaderboard on Monday after four Wildcats shot par or better in the second round of the Puerto Rico Classic. Kentucky improved on its score from the first day by one shot with a 3-under-par 285, the third-lowest round by any team on the course. Through 36 holes of play, UK stands in third place with a 5-under score.
What Head Coach Brian Craig is Saying:
“Our play was solid today and is in a good position going into the final round. Give credit to Clemson, as I think they played a different course from the rest of us. I am particularly proud of Fred Allen Meyer. He was just a fraction off from having a really good round today. His attitude and demeanor are simply fantastic. I see big things in store for Fred Allen and our entire team if we can keep having that type of attitude and effort each and every day.”
About the Lineup:
Junior Tyler “Chip” McDaniel fired his sixth-consecutive par-or-better round on Monday with a 1-under, 71, and is tied for third overall on the individual leaderboard.
As he did during the first round, McDaniel played his best golf on the back nine. The Manchester, Kentucky, native bogeyed the first hole on the side, but bounced right back with a birdie on the par-five 11th. After four straight pars, McDaniel picked up his second birdie of the back nine and then finished with consecutive pars for a 1-under, 35. McDaniel is in search of his fourth top-10 finish of his junior campaign heading into Tuesday’s final round.
Fellow junior Cooper Musselman moved up the leaderboard into a tie for sixth place among individuals. Musselman followed his 2-under-par performance on Sunday with a 1-under round to match McDaniel. The junior was the second Wildcat to shoot an incredible 3-under on the back nine this week. Musselman leads all Wildcats this season with four individual finishes among the top 20 and is in the hunt for a fifth on the year.
Senior Stephen Stallings continued his solid play for the tournament with an even-par round on the day. The senior’s routine performance consisted of a bogey-free front nine at 1-under par and guided him to a tie for 14th on the leaderboard.
After enduring an up-and-down opening round, sophomore Lukas Euler elevated his game to a higher level with a 1-under par performance on Monday. Euler, a sophomore, double-bogeyed the 12th hole and still shot 1-under on the back nine. He is inside the top 40 on the individual board and is in a tie for 36th place.
Sophomore Fred Allen Meyer battled back with a markedly improved second round. The sophomore’s resilience led to a 3-over-par round with eight straight pars and one bogey on the back nine.
The Tournament Field:
Kentucky concluded round two in third place and joins two top-25 teams at the top of the leaderboard. No. 21 Clemson leads all teams at 16-under par following a 12-under round on day two. The Georgia Bulldogs, ranked 10th nationally, are in second place and only ahead of the Wildcats by four shots at 9-under par. NC State (-1) is the only other team under par for the tournament and behind Kentucky in fourth place.
About the Course:
Set on the picturesque Caribbean coast, the Puerto Rico Classic is being played at Rio Mar Beach and Spa Resort’s River Course in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Although the tournament began in 1999, this is the second year that Kentucky is competing.
Live stats will be available on BirdieFire. The tournament will be played over three days with the teams playing beginning with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. ET each morning. The 54-hole event will conclude on Tuesday. Teams will be paired based on the results from the first two rounds and will play 18 holes every day.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow @UKMensGolf on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
Rio Mar Beach River Course
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Feb. 19-21
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,902
3 – Kentucky (286, 285 – 571, -5)
T3 – Chip McDaniel (69, 71 – 140, -4)
T6 – Cooper Musselman (70, 71 – 141, -3)
T14 – Stephen Stallings (71, 72 – 143, -1)
T36 – Lukas Euler (76, 71 – 147, +3)
74 – Fred Allen Meyer (87, 75 – 162, +18)
‑ GO CATS –
For more information contact:
Deb Moore
