UK All-America Golfer McDaniel Breaks Kentucky State Am Tournament Record
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Records were made to be broken. Or at least, that’s how the saying goes.
Current Kentucky men’s golfer Tyler “Chip” McDaniel (pictured) did just that when he eclipsed a 13-year-old record held by former Wildcat legend and UK Athletics Hall of Famer, J.B. Holmes during the three-round 102nd Kentucky Amateur Championship held Thursday, June 22 at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky.
McDaniel posted a 54-hole score of 201, besting Holmes’ mark of 202 set at the Bowling Green Country Club in 2004.
UK’s senior All-American began his record-breaking performance and State Am victory by logging opening rounds of 64 and 66 to build an eight-shot lead. A 1-under, 71, on the final day of play gave him a 15-under combined score, topping the runner-up scores by six strokes.
The leaderboard was flooded with Wildcats as Stephen Stallings tied for second following a 67, the lowest final round score in the field. He finished the tournament at 9-under with all three rounds coming in under par.
Matt Liston and Cooper Musselman tied for sixth with 4-under scores, helping the Wildcats comprise 40 percent of the Top 10 individual finishers. Liston boasted rounds of 69-71-72, while Musselman’s scorecard read 70-71-71.
Other Wildcats in action included Allen Hamilton who finished in the top 25, Evan Cox in the top 30 and Jacob Cook inside the top 40.
McDaniel’s impressive victory began with an opening round consisting of nine birdies with just one bogey to card an 8-under par, 64. He followed that with a 66 on day two, which included eight birdies to combat two bogeys.
The Manchester, Ky., native logged three birdies and an eagle in the final round and fended off four bogeys, including one on the 17th hole, to give him a chance to break the record. A par-four score on the 414-yard, No. 18 preserved the score and bested Holmes’ record by one stroke.
With this week’s victory, McDaniel adds to his trophy case after also winning the State Am as a junior from Clay County High School in 2013.
Following a successful week for several of the Wildcats, they will next venture to Ireland for a 10-day foreign tour in which the team will play six different historic venues throughout their stay from June 24-July 1.
Photos by Tyler Kaufman and UK Athletics
