Unbridled Tour announced for University Club of Kentucky in October

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Unbridled Tour returns to Central Kentucky with professional golfers battling for a purse that could exceed $150,000 with a full field when the action begins at the University Club of Kentucky in October. The 54-hole, three-day tournament that will be played without spectators will include a pro-am on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020 followed by tournament rounds on Oct. 13-15. The mini-tour’s first event was played in May at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club in Richmond.

“This Tour has provided much-needed playing opportunities in 2020 that were severely limited given the impact of COVID-19,” said Brooks Downing, CEO of bdG Sports which launched the tour. “And given that fall is an ideal time for golf in Kentucky, we expect a full field with a winner’s share of $40,000.”

The three previous Unbridled Tour stops have featured impressive professionals such as Ollie Schniederjans, a veteran of the PGA TOUR with more than $3 million in winnings, Scott Jamieson, a past winner on the European Tour, Chase Koepka, the younger brother of Brooks, and Jack Nicklaus award-winner Norman Xiong, along with Kentuckians Chip McDaniel, Cooper Musselman and Billy Tom Sargent.

McDaniel, a former UK star, won the inaugural Unbridled Tour event at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club in Richmond this past May. The tour moved south in June for two tournaments in Jacksonville. Eddie Olson won the first tournament at Fleming Island Golf Club while Carson Young took home the second title at Hidden Hills Golf Club.

The Unbridled Tour will be played on University Club’s Big Blue Course (par 72, 7,013 yards) which is the home course for the University of Kentucky golf teams. The tournament will feature a Pro-Am for local sponsors on Oct. 12 followed by the 54-hole tournament over the next three days. There will be a cut to 60 and ties following the second round. Those interested in supporting the tournament or competing in the Pro-Am can contact bdG Sports for more information (859.494.3932 or [email protected]).

Mini-tour events were once the primary route to earning a PGA TOUR card. But at the PGA Tour launched its MacKenzie Tour in Canada and the Latinoamérica Tour throughout Central and South America, participants could earn status through both on the Korn Ferry Tour, and subsequently, mini-tours lost popularity. The global pandemic has suspended the foreign tours for 2020, elevating the need for the 2020 mini-tours to re-emerge.

The Unbridled Tour event will be hosted in compliance with all local and state public heath guidelines to include:

  • Social distancing will be required by players and club/tournament staff
  • Only one person will be permitted in a golf cart if utilized
  • The course will not be open to fans
  • Clubhouse access will be restricted

bdG Sports, a Lexington-based sports management firm that annually manages the Korn Ferry Tour’s Great Exuma Classic and Great Abaco Classic events in the Bahamas, owns and operates the Unbridled Tour.

Full event information and daily scores can be found at www.UnbridledTour.com. Registration is open until Oct. 11 at midnight.

bdG Sports partners with Loop Insights to deliver contact tracing and automated marketing solutions for U.S. sports

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Loop Insights Inc. (MTRX:TSXV) (the “Company” or “Loop”), a provider of contactless solutions and artificial intelligence (“AI”) to drive automated marketing, contact tracing, and contactless solutions to the brick and mortar space, announces the signing of a channel reseller partnership with Kentucky-based bdG Sports LLC (“bdG”) a leading representation, event management and public relations firm operating within the global sports marketing industry.

bdG Sports is one of the largest providers of college basketball content in the United States, managing multiple NCAA Division I tournaments across North America, including destination tournaments in Southwest Florida, Las Vegas, Canada and The Bahamas. The firm manages two professional golf tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour in the Caribbean, and has an extensive background with both the LPGA and PGA TOUR. The firm boasts relationships with such brands as Nike, ESPN, Gatorade, and MGM Resorts International, among others. As a result of COVD-19, these staple events and many other bdG events have been disrupted, with no plans for commencement without a solution for the safety of fans, athletes and staff.

Loop’s contact-tracing solution will provide bdG’s sporting events with an opportunity to commence and provide economic recovery for its clients.

“Many within our extensive network of business are desperately searching for innovative solutions that will allow them the opportunity to support a safe environment for fans, staff and athletes, but also optimize their revenue streams that warrant the restart of operations,” said Brooks Downing, President and CEO of bdG Sports. “Loop effectively solves both of these problems with its leading contact-tracing solution which will provide the confidence needed as teams make decisions to restart their schedules. And while this tool will allow fans to return to events, Loop’s contactless, artificial intelligence marketing solutions will provide personalized promotions and targeted engagement, leading to higher conversions and transaction revenue at all events. This level of personalized omni-channel marketing is incredibly valuable for our clients’ resumption plans.”

In addition to implementing Loop’s contact-tracing product into its current and future events, bdG Sports also plays host to major global sports events and will be implementing Loop’s solutions to reinvent the live fan engagement experience, consisting of real-time personalized fan engagement.

Additionally, bdG will represent Loop as a reseller to its current and future clients and enables direct access to the bdG Sports client base, which the Company anticipates will accelerate its growth opportunities in the sports industry.

“This is a major opportunity for Loop as live event operators are looking for two things that we can immediately solve,” said Rob Anson, Chief Executive Officer of Loop Insights. “First, they are desperately looking to safely re-open facilities in efforts to save their respective seasons, and secondly, they are looking for new line revenue opportunities to offset the losses from reduced fan capacity in stadium.  This partnership with globally renowned bdG Sports is major third-party validation of our abilities to deliver these solutions.  We look forward to leading the way with them toward the safe and profitable resumption of major sporting events.”

Tickets on-sale now for MGM Resorts Main Event featuring Louisville, Arkansas, San Francisco and Colorado State

LAS VEGAS – Basketball is back! With the NBA and WNBA relaunching its respective seasons, college basketball finds itself less than 100 days away from the start of its new season. One of the most anticipated tournaments will be the MGM Resorts Main Event, scheduled November 20-22, 2020 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Tickets for the four-team tournament, featuring Louisville, Arkansas, Colorado State and San Francisco, will are on-sale now to the public. The tournament, now in its seventh year, is managed by bdG Sports.

“MGM Resorts has been a leader in setting health and safety protocols for its resorts and entertainment venues in response to COVID-19. We will use those standards as a foundation to keep our players and fans safe at T-Mobile Arena,” said Brooks Downing, President and CEO of bdG Sports. “We are setting a model to have 25% capacity at this time and will continue to modify these health and safety measures as the situation evolves throughout the fall.”

Protocols for the tournament include:

  • Venue capacity will be set at 25% (as of the on-sale)
  • Seating immediately around the playing floor will be restricted
  • All public safety protocols in place in November will be in effect for those entering the venue
  • MGM Resorts’ Seven-Point Safety Plan will be utilized at the host resorts, which includes temperature checks, physical distancing, enhanced sanitation measures and handwashing stations, etc. (https://www.mgmresorts.com/en/covid-19/seven-point-safety-plan.html)
  • Contactless options for ticketing and concessions

Louisville, which finished 24-7 overall last season and ranked 14th nationally, was 15-5 and tied for second in the Atlantic Coast Conference under second-year coach Chris Mack. The Cards are expected to compete for the ACC Championship next season. Arkansas, 20-12 last season, is expected to compete for a conference title season by adding the nation’s No. 5-ranked recruiting class with three of the top graduate transfers in the country as well as three transfers that sat out last season. The Razorbacks will be led by SEC Player of the Year candidate Isaiah Joe whom announced his withdrawal from the NBA Draft and return to Fayetteville last week. Coach Eric Musselman took over the program last season after spending the previous four years in the Mountain West Conference at Nevada, leading the Wolfpack to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Likewise, Colorado State hopes to build on its 20-12 record and fifth-place finish in the MWC last season while San Francisco boasts a 22-win season from a year ago and a fifth-place finish in the West Coast Conference standings.

Downing said, “What makes this such a terrific lineup this season is that all four teams are coached by top young coaches in college basketball, all four teams are coming off 20-win seasons from a year ago – and those are shortened seasons due to the pandemic – and all four teams will have aspirations of claiming a conference championship and playing deep into the NCAA Tournament next March. Without a doubt, this is the best lineup we’ve assembled in the seven years of this tournament.”

Tickets for the two-day tournament range from $29-$109 per day and two-day packages are available from $49-$195 (prices are inclusive of tax and facility fee). Tickets can be purchased at www.tmobilearena.com or www.axs.com. First-round games will be played Friday, Nov. 20 with the consolation and championship games tipping Sunday, Nov. 22. Tickets will allow access to both games on the given day. Pairings and game times will be announced soon. ESPN plans to broadcast the event.

The tournament benefits Coaches vs. Cancer, an initiative spearheaded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (www.nabc.com) and the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org). The launch of public ticket sales has been scheduled to coincide with the 13th Annual Las Vegas Golf Classic benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer. The charity event hosted by Coach Lon Kruger is played annually at Shadow Creek and South Highlands and has raised nearly $6 million for the American Cancer Society.

Complete tournament information can be found at www.mgmresortsmainevent.com and on social media at @VegasMainEvent. Tournament hotel rates are available now via the website. Rates are available for ARIA, MGM Grand and New York-New York. All resorts are a short walking distance to T-Mobile Arena.

 

 

HEAD COACHES’ QUOTES

Arkansas’ Eric Musselman

“We are excited to playing in this premier event versus elite programs on a national stage. These are the types of games we look forward to competing in each year. This will be a great opportunity and learning experience for our student-athletes both culturally and athletically. We are also honored to be affiliated with Coaches vs. Cancer and all that great organization represents.”

San Francisco’s Todd Golden:

“We are thrilled to be a part of the 2020 MGM Resorts Main Event in Las Vegas this November. This is an event that draws accomplished programs from all conferences throughout the country. The field is particularly strong again this year and we are looking forward to another opportunity to show where our program is early in the non-conference season.”

Louisville’s Chris Mack:

“We are looking forward to participating in this prestigious event among our early games next season. The opportunity to play in this tournament in Las Vegas provides a great destination for our fans to follow our team on the road a week before Thanksgiving in what we anticipate being  great competition.”

Colorado State’s Niko Medved:

“We are thrilled to have the chance to play in a first-class tournament like the MGM Resorts Main Event. It’s a great opportunity for our program and we look forward to competing against some of the premier programs in college basketball.”

Carson Young wins Unbridled Tour: Hidden Hills in a playoff over European Tour vet Scott Jamieson

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The test came on the 54th hole. Third-year pro Carson Young had just watched veteran Scott Jamieson’s 35-foot birdie putt drop to take the lead and potentially win the Unbridled Tour: Hidden Hills Golf Club. Young calmly drained his 15-foot birdie putt to tie and force a playoff in the final round of the three-day tournament. In the subsequent playoff hole, the par-4 18th, Jamieson found his drive in the fairway while Young was in the right rough 110 yards out and partially blocked by a tree.

“I couldn’t hit my sand wedge because of the limbs so had to use my 9-iron and knocked it to 10 feet,” said Young, the Anderson, S.C. native whom played collegiately at Clemson.

Jamieson’s approach was long leaving the European Tour player with a 20-foot putt that he left just on the lip. Young capitalized and drained his birdie putt to earn his first professional victory.

“Scott kept dropping putts all day and I knew I just had to keep matching him,” Young added. “Fortunately, I got the last one to drop.”

Young had a very consistent three days shooting 69-69-66—204 (-12) while Jamieson bounced back from an opening-round 75 to set a new Hidden Hills course record with a 63 on Wednesday. Jamieson shot 66 in the final round en route to the second-place finish after the playoff.

“It feels great to get the win considering our time off from competitive golf due to COVID-19,” said Young. “Having made the MacKenzie Tour in Canada and then seeing it get shut down for 2020, it was nice to have the opportunity to come out here this week and win at Hidden Hills.”

Neptune Beach’s Andrew McLaughlan was the tournament’s Low Amateur finishing fifth after shooting 69-71-70—210 (-5).

bdG Sports, based in Lexington, Ky., and operator of the first two Korn Ferry Tour events of the season in the Bahamas, will be staging future Unbridled Tour events to follow Monday qualifiers throughout the summer and fall. The Unbridled Tour Championship is scheduled for Las Vegas later this fall. For more information, visit www.UnbridledTour.com.

Eddie Olson wins the Unbridled Tour at Fleming Island Golf Club

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – He missed an eagle putt on 18. Tapped in for birdie. Just missed recording an elusive 59 in a professional golf tournament.

But Eddie Olson wasn’t disappointed. With the final birdie, the Las Vegas native captured the title of the 2020 Unbridled Tour: Fleming Island Golf Club, presented by By Your Side Senior Care, tallying a 67-64-60—191 (-22) to win by two shots over Garrett May and four shots over second-round leader Nick Voke.

“I actually figured something out with my swing on the range before the second round,” said Olson, who just missed by three shots of qualifying on Monday for the first Korn Ferry Tour event of the restarted season. “I knew coming in today I’d have to shoot in the low 60s to have a chance, so I just went out trying to record as many birdies as I could.”

Olson had seven birdies and no bogeys on the day, but it was his two eagles that made the difference, starting with the 303-yard par-4 12th hole that he drove before dropping in a 20-foot putt. After a second eagle on the par-5 16th hole, the 32-year-old had a 25-foot, uphill putt for eagle on 18 and a final-round 59. It just missed on the low side.

“I’ve shot a 59 once in my life on my home course, but never in a tournament,” Olson said, who now owns the course record. “And you don’t get too many opportunities to putt for a 59. But I’m going to take my picture of the check and send it to my mom. She’ll be very happy with that.”

Olson pockets $8,650 for his first-place finish. Notable finishers include Chase Koepka, Brooks Koepka’s younger brother, who tied for fifth (-15), Ollie Schniederjans, the PGA TOUR veteran who tied for eighth (-14), and Norman Xiong, the 2018 NCAA Division I Player of the Year, who finished at seven-under.

North Florida sophomore Cody Carroll finished as the low amateur, shooting 68-65-66—191, just eight shots back of the leader, good for a Top-10 finish.

“It felt great to compete again,” said Carroll, who sidelined with his Osprey teammates when the spring season was canceled due to the Covid virus. “Playing with such strong competition gives me confidence that I can compete at the next level.”

The Unbridled Tour now moves to Hidden Hills Golf Club in Jacksonville, June 16-18. The Tour is shadowing the Korn Ferry Tour as it plays back-to-back events in the PGA TOUR’s hometown. bdG Sports, based in Lexington, Ky., and operator of the first two Korn Ferry Tour events of the season in the Bahamas, will be staging future Unbridled Tour events to follow Monday qualifiers throughout the summer and fall. The Unbridled Tour Championship is scheduled for Las Vegas later this fall. For more information, visit www.UnbridledTour.com.

Colorado State rounds out the field for 2020 MGM Resorts Main Event

FORT COLLINS, COLO. – Coming off a 20-win campaign this year, Coach Niko Medved’s Colorado State Rams will have the opportunity to test its mettle in one of next season’s premier early season tournaments. CSU joins Louisville, Arkansas and San Francisco in the field for the MGM Resorts Main Event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The four-team tournament will be played on Nov. 20-22 and benefits Coaches vs. Cancer.

“We are thrilled to have the chance to play in a first-class tournament like MGM Resorts Main Event,” said Medved. “It’s a great opportunity for our program and we look forward to competing against some of the premier programs in college basketball.”

With four returning starters, Colorado State looks to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. That season, the Rams beat Missouri in the First Round before being knocked out by eventual National Champion Louisville. A potential CSU-Louisville game would be the first time the two teams have played since 2013.

“Colorado State is going to come to Vegas next season with experience and well-coached,” said bdG Sports President and CEO Brooks Downing. “The combination of the action on the court and a destination location like Las Vegas promises to make a tremendous trip for Rams fans on the weekend before Thanksgiving.”

First-round games will be played on Friday, Nov. 20 with the consolation and championship games tipping on Sunday, Nov. 22. Pairings and game times will be announced later this summer. The event benefits Coaches vs. Cancer, an initiative spearheaded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (www.nabc.com) and the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org).

Complete tournament information can be found at www.mgmresortsmainevent.com and tournament hotel rates are available now on the site. Rates are available for Park MGM (host resort for CSU), Aria, MGM Grand and New York-New York with all four resorts being within a short walking distance to T-Mobile Arena. Colorado State fans are encouraged to follow @VegasMainEvent on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and use #RamsInVegas.

San Francisco Dons headed to Vegas for 2020 MGM Resorts Main Event

SAN FRANCISCO – The resurgence of San Francisco basketball continues next season when the Dons play in the MGM Resorts Main Event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. USF joins previously announced teams Louisville and Arkansas in the four-team tournament field which will be played on Nov. 20-22 and benefits Coaches vs. Cancer.

‘We are thrilled to be a part of the 2020 MGM Resorts Main Event in Last Vegas this November,” said USF head coach Todd Golden. “This is an event that draws accomplished programs from all conferences throughout the country. The field is particularly strong again this year and we are looking forward to another opportunity to show where our program is early in the non-conference season.”

San Francisco is on the verge of success not seen in more than 40 years for the program which has two National Championship banners hanging in War Memorial Gymnasium. In his first year as head coach, Golden led the Dons to 22 wins, the most since the program was reinstated in 1985. The Dons led Gonzaga at the half in both of its two regular season contests and push the Bulldogs to the bring in the WCC Tournament semifinals before falling 81-77.

“There may be no better young coach in the country than Todd Golden and he certainly has the Dons on the doorstep of being a national power,” said bdG Sports President and CEO Brooks Downing. “It’s going to be an exciting few days in Vegas for our teams and fans on the weekend before Thanksgiving.”

First-round games will be played on Friday, Nov. 20 with the consolation and championship games tipping on Sunday, Nov. 22. Pairings and game times will be announced later this summer. The event benefits Coaches vs. Cancer, an initiative spearheaded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (www.nabc.com) and the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org).

Complete tournament information can be found at www.mgmresortsmainevent.com and tournament hotel rates are available now on the site. Rates are available for Park MGM (host resort for USF), Aria, MGM Grand and New York-New York with all four resorts being within a short walking distance to T-Mobile Arena. San Francisco fans are encouraged to follow @VegasMainEvent on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and use #DonsInVegas.

Chip McDaniel takes home the Unbridled Tour presented by Republic Bank at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club

Former University of Kentucky standout Chip McDaniel holed out from just short of the bunk on #18 to birdie the final hole and clinch the title of the Unbridled Tour presented by Republic Bank and the $10,000 first-place prize. McDaniel shot -5 on the day to finish at -19 for the three-day tournament which was held at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club in Richmond, Ky.

Evansville, Ind. native Dylan Meyer finished two back at -17 followed by former NKU golfer Jacob Poore at -15.

Current University of Kentucky golf Jacob Cook finished at -12 to earn recognition as the Low Amateur for the week.

Tee times announced for Unbridled Tour presented by Republic Bank

RICHMOND, Ky. – Korn Ferry Tour pros Kent Bulle, Chip McDaniel and Erik Barnes will tee off at 2:24 p.m. ET on Tuesday as the feature group of the Unbridled Tour presented by Republic Bank. The 54-hole, three-day tournament features 25 professional golfers and 14 amateurs competing at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club in the return of sports for Kentucky following the state’s shutdown due to COVID-19.

A $20,000 purse is at stake with a first-place prize of $10,000 for the champion. The feature group for Tuesday and Wednesday includes:

  • Kent Bulle – the Glasgow, Ky., native who qualified for the 2017 British Open after winning the Argentina Open, and was in the top-four after the cut; Jordan Spieth ended up with the wire-to-wire victory in the major. Bulle, a 10-year pro who played at Middle Tennessee, is coming off shoulder surgery in 2019. He currently has status on the Korn Ferry Tour.
  • Chip McDaniel – a three-time collegiate winner at the University of Kentucky, the Manchester native also won the 2013 and 2017 Kentucky State Amateur and the Junior PGA Championship in 2013. Along with teammate Cooper Musselman, who’s also in the field, the duo led the Wildcats to an NCAA regional title in 2018. McDaniel currently has status on the Korn Ferry Tour.
  • Erik Barnes – a Michigan native, Barnes played collegiately at Austin Peay, where he was the league’s freshman of the year in 2007 and player of the year in 2009. The ninth-year pro has played in three of the six Korn Ferry Tour events this season and currently ranks 127th on the points list.

Other prominent players in the field include former UK standouts Cooper Musselman and Fred Allen Meyer, former Scott County and WKU star Billy Tom Sargent and current UK golfers Allen Hamilton and Zach Norris.

Boone’s Trace National Golf Club will manage the tournament in partnership with bdG Sports, the Lexington-based firm that annually manages the Korn Ferry Tour’s Great Exuma Classic and Great Abaco Classic events in the Bahamas.

The Unbridled Tour event will be hosted in compliance with all local and state public heath guidelines to include:

  • Social distancing will be required by players and club/tournament staff
  • Only one person will be permitted in a golf cart if utilized
  • The course will not be open to fans
  • Clubhouse access will be restricted

Full event information and daily scores can be found at www.UnbridledTour.com.

 

 

Round 1/Round 2 Tee Times (A=Amateur)

1:00 p.m. / 8:00 a.m. – Brandon Doyle, Glenn Garnett, Dustin Denzik

1:12 p.m. / 8:12 a.m. – Jacob Poore, Kevin Rhoderick, Matt McCurry

1:24 p.m. / 8:24 a.m. – Brad Golden, Fred Allen Meyer, Trey Cox

1:36 p.m. / 8:36 a.m. – Thaddeus Obecny II, Isaac Merry, Myles Creighton

1:48 p.m. / 8:48 a.m. – Antonio Farinella (A), Thomas Scott, Matt Harris

2:00 p.m. / 9:00 a.m. – Cooper Musselman, JB Williams, Trey Bowling (A)

2:12 p.m. / 9:12 a.m. – Evan Cox, Dylan Meyer, Florian Loutre

2:24 p.m. / 9:24 a.m. – Chip McDaniel, Kent Bulle, Erik Barnes

2:36 p.m. / 9:36 a.m. – Nathan Kerns, Vince India, Billy Tom Sargent

2:48 p.m. / 9:48 a.m. – Allen Hamilton (A), Clay Amlung (A), Blake Moody (A)

3:00 p.m. / 10:00 a.m. – Mason Lenhart (A), Andrew Flynn (A), Canon Claycomb (A)

3:12 p.m. / 10:12 a.m. – Zach Norris (A), Alex Easthom (A), Patrick Kennedy (A)

3:24 p.m. / 10:24 a.m. – Reid Bedell (A), Jacob Cook (A), Jansen Klondike (A)

Professional golf tournament launches at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club as Kentucky’s first sports event post-COVID-19

RICHMOND, Ky. – More than two dozen professional golfers will battle for a $20,000 purse when action begins Tuesday at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club in Richmond, Ky. The 54-hole, three-day tournament that will be played without spectators is dubbed the “Unbridled Tour presented by Republic Bank” and will see players competing for a $10,000 first-place prize. The event marks the return of sports for Kentucky following the state’s shutdown due to COVID-19 in mid-March.

“A mini-tour event offers the perfect opportunity for both professional and amateur golfers to play in a competitive environment while staying safe and healthy as part of the current public health guidelines,” said Cam Rutherford, Head Professional of Boone’s Trace National Golf Club. “We are excited to offer this opportunity to pros and top amateurs that live in our region and have not had the chance to play competitively over the past two months.”

The tournament has drawn professional golfers from as far away as Arizona and Florida, including:

  • Erik Barnes – a Michigan native, Barnes played collegiately at Austin Peay, where he was the league’s freshman of the year in 2007 and player of the year in 2009. The ninth-year pro has played in three of the six Korn Ferry Tour events this season and currently ranks 127th on the points list.
  • Kent Bulle – the Glasgow, Ky., native who qualified for the 2017 British Open after winning the Argentina Open, and was in the top-four after the cut; Jordan Spieth ended up with the wire-to-wire victory in the major. Bulle, a 10-year pro who played at Middle Tennessee, is coming off shoulder surgery in 2019. He currently has status on the Korn Ferry Tour.
  • Vince India – a native of Deerfield, Ill., India has played in all six Korn Ferry Tour events this season, making three cuts. The Iowa grad was the 2011 Big Ten Player of the Year and recorded his first top-10 finish on the Korn Ferry Tour last summer at the Portland Open, finishing 5th after being the 36-hole leader.
  • Chip McDaniel – a three-time collegiate winner at the University of Kentucky, the Manchester native also won the 2013 and 2017 Kentucky State Amateur and the Junior PGA Championship in 2013. Along with teammate Cooper Musselman, who’s also in the field, the duo led the Wildcats to an NCAA regional title in 2018. McDaniel currently has status on the Korn Ferry Tour.

As many as a dozen amateurs have entered the field as well, including UK golfers Allen Hamilton and Zach Norris, Cincinnati golfers Clay Amlung and Mason Lenhart, and Alabama freshman Canon Claycomb from Bowling Green.

Mini-tour events were once the primary route to earning a PGA TOUR card. However, as developmental tours, such as the MacKenzie Tour in Canada and the Latinoamérica Tour, both of which are managed by the PGA TOUR, became more popular as participants could earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour, mini-tours lost popularity. But with the global pandemic, mini-tours in Florida and Texas have blossomed over the past 30 days, and are serving as a key stepping stone to players needing competition prior to the planned restart of professional golf next month.

Boone’s Trace National Golf Club, located just south of Lexington, features a 6,900-yard course known locally as “The Bull” which plays to a par 72. The club has utilized the spring season to complete on-course improvements. The course, which has bentgrass tees, fairways, and greens, and bluegrass/fescue rough, is in perfect condition to host the Unbridled Tour according to the club.

“Our course challenges golfers to make shots,” added Rutherford. “It will prove to be a great test for a number of our participants who have been sidelined for the past two months.”

Boone’s Trace National Golf Club will manage the tournament in partnership with bdG Sports, the Lexington-based firm that annually manages the Korn Ferry Tour’s Great Exuma Classic and Great Abaco Classic events in the Bahamas.

The Unbridled Tour event will be hosted in compliance with all local and state public heath guidelines to include:

  • Social distancing will be required by players and club/tournament staff
  • Only one person will be permitted in a golf cart if utilized
  • The course will not be open to fans
  • Clubhouse access will be restricted

Full event information and daily scores can be found at www.UnbridledTour.com. Registration is open until 6 p.m., May 24.