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.

Arkansas Basketball announced for 2020 MGM Resorts Main Event

FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. – Arkansas fans will have the opportunity to “Call the Hogs” on the Las Vegas Strip when the Razorbacks head west next season for the MGM Resorts Main Event at T-Mobile Arena. The Hogs join previously announced Louisville in the four-team tournament field which will be played on Nov. 20-22 and benefits Coaches vs. Cancer.

“We are excited to be playing in this premier event versus elite programs on a national stage,” said Arkansas coach Eric Musselman. “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.”

The tournament will mark the Hogs’ first trip to Las Vegas since 2012. Arkansas’ only other trip to Vegas came in 1989 as the Razorbacks dueled with top-ranked UNLV at the time.

“Arkansas fans are among the most passionate in all of college basketball and we are excited to hear the Hog Call echo throughout T-Mobile Arena,” said bdG Sports President and CEO Brooks Downing. “This event promises to be a great test for all of our participating teams early in the season and the fans will enjoy visiting such a destination location as Las Vegas the weekend before Thanksgiving.”

The other participating teams will be announced in the coming weeks. 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, as well as ticket information. 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 (tournament headquarters resort), Aria, MGM Grand and New York-New York with all four resorts being within a short walking distance to T-Mobile Arena. Arkansas fans are encouraged to follow @VegasMainEvent on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and use #HogsInVegas.

Louisville Basketball to play in 2020 MGM Resorts Main Event in Las Vegas

LOUISVILLE – The neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip will glow red when Louisville men’s basketball heads west next season for two games at T-Mobile Arena. The Cardinals will be one of four teams in the 7th-annual MGM Resorts Main Event benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer on Nov. 20-22. The event is managed by Kentucky-based sports marketing firm bdG Sports.

”We are looking forward to participating in this prestigious event among our early games next season,” said UofL Coach Chris Mack. “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 to be great competition.”

The tournament will mark Louisville’s first trip west since playing Grand Canyon in Phoenix in 2016. Their last trip to Vegas for a tournament was in 2007.

“We are excited to bring Louisville and its tremendous fan base to Las Vegas the weekend before Thanksgiving for the Main Event,” said bdG Sports President and CEO Brooks Downing. “UofL has such a rich history in the game and is one of only 12 programs to win a national championship the past two decades. With the field we’re assembling and such a world-class destination location, the Cardinal fans are in for a great weekend.”

The other participating teams will be announced in the coming weeks. 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, as well as ticket information. 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 (tournament headquarters resort), Aria, MGM Grand and New York-New York with all four resorts being within a short walking distance to T-Mobile Arena. Louisville fans are encouraged to follow @VegasMainEvent on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and use #CardsInVegas.

Jared Wolfe takes homes The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at Baha Mar title

NASSAU, The Bahamas — Jared Wolfe entered the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at Baha Mar with a one-shot lead at 15-under, looking to secure the first win of his Tour career. The Kentucky native, who had great success on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica the last three years, took advantage of his opportunity with a final-round 69, good for an 18-under 270 total and a four-shot victory over Brandon Harkins.

Wolfe took control of the tournament lead in the late afternoon during Tuesday’s third round, with birdies on three of his final four holes securing a one-shot advantage over Harkins entering Wednesday’s final round at Baha Mar’s Royal Blue Golf Course.

With wind gusts over 30 mph on a day when only two players broke 70, Wolfe did his best to keep a steady ship as three days of red numbers turned into veritable survival on day four. The former Murray State golfer turned in 1-under 35 with a workman-like eight pars and one birdie on the par-4 fifth.

Abaco locals assist at Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at Baha Mar

On the morning of Sunday, September 1, 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall on the island of Great Abaco in the northern Bahamas with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour. The Category 5 hurricane remained over the island for approximately 24 hours. The effects of the storm and flooding were devastating as many Bahamians lost their lives, thousands were displaced and the town of Marsh Harbour was leveled.

The devastation hit especially close to home on the Korn Ferry Tour, as the island has served as the backdrop to The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club since 2017. Over the years, players, caddies and staffers have met many Abaco natives and grown to love the annual stop. Marsh Harbour is the closest town to The Abaco Club at Winding Bay and traditionally hosted many of those involved with the tournament.

Tommy Gainey wins The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay

GREAT EXUMA, The Bahamas — Holding a slim lead for most of the day, Tommy Gainey birdied his last three holes en route to his third career Korn Ferry Tour victory at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay. At 11-under, Gainey topped John Oda and Dylan Wu by four shots.

“I definitely didn’t expect it this week,” said Gainey, a former PGA TOUR champion at the 2012 RSM Classic. “As you know, the last time I played here (in 2017) I shot 87-84. But it’s a new year, new tournament. I just had to be patient.”

With a birdie at the par-5 first, Gainey looked prepared to distance himself from the field. Instead he made par on t

Five Kentuckians, including three former Wildcats, in Korn Ferry Tour opener

GEORGE TOWN, Exuma, The Bahamas – Five Kentuckians are among the field of 132 professional golfers as the Korn Ferry Tour launches its new season on Sunday at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay.

Three former University of Kentucky players – Mark Blakefield, Chip McDaniel and Cooper Musselman – along with former Murray State star Jared Wolfe and South Carolina Aiken golfer Matt Atkins will compete for the $600,000 purse and the all-important points in the race for their PGA TOUR card. The Korn Ferry Tour awards the top-25 finishers with their cards at the end of the regular season.

“It’s pretty impressive when you take these five golfers playing here in Exuma, add in Justin Thomas, JB Holmes and Josh Teater on the regular tour, and I think it says a lot about the development of the sport in the Bluegrass State,” said Blakefield, a 37-year-old Maysville native, who was a member of UK’s first Southeastern Conference Championship team in 2005.

McDaniel and Musselman were teammates two years ago and led Coach Brian Craig’s team to one of the greatest season’s in UK golf history. The Wildcats finished in a tie for 21st overall on the team leaderboard of the NCAA Championship after winning four regular season tournaments. The team only advanced from the regional when McDaniel holed out for eagle from 118 yards on the 18th hole of the final round the week before.

McDaniel was the 2017 Kentucky Amateur champ and earned conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour, but came so close to earning guaranteed starts. In the final round of Q School last month, the Top 40 earn eight guaranteed starts. He finished his final round in 37th place. Unfortunately, others in the final groups still on the course moved up the standings, knocking McDaniel to 41st place. “It came down to one shot,” McDaniel said.

Musselman was 2017 Kentucky Open champion and is a member of the “first family of golf in Kentucky.” His grandfather Tom launched the Musselman-Dunn Tour three decades ago, which has recently been merged with the Kentucky PGA Junior Tour.

“Growing up playing in every local tournament around the state, there wasn’t just one or two guys dominating the events, there were 10 or more,” said Musselman, who will be paired with McDaniel and Chase Koepka, Brooks’ younger brother, and will tee off at 1:15 p.m. in the first round on Sunday. “That just spurred even more competition; it just elevated the talent levels to new heights. Now in every professional golf tournament, we’re seeing Kentucky players in contention.”

 

In addition to Musselman, Wolfe hails from Louisville as well, and was a member of the Racers’ 2010 Ohio Valley Conference championship team. Since turning pro, the 31-year-old has grinded away on the PGA TOUR’s Canada and Latin American circuits. In 2019, he finished third in the Latin America Tour standings after a runner-up finish at the season-ending Shell Championship to earn his 2020 Korn Ferry Tour card.

Atkins is a 2009 Apollo High School graduate in Owensboro, Ky., before becoming an NCAA Division II All-American at USC-Aiken. Earned his 2017-18 PGA TOUR card where he made 21 starts, six cuts and one top-25 finish. He has played in the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic twice, missing the cut in 2017 before a T37 finish last season.

The tournament was launched in 2017 by Lexington, Ky.-based bdG Sports, which manages more than 150 college basketball and hockey games each year, and two professional golf tournaments, including the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, which follows the season-opening event in Exuma.

Other notables for the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay:

  • Q School winners Braden Thornberry, an Ole Miss grad, and Curtis Thompson, LPGA star Lexi Thompson’s brother, will both be in the field this week. Other notables include Curtis Luck, who won the US Amateur and Marty Dou from China, who won the 2019 Bahamas Great Exuma Classic but fell short of earning his PGA TOUR card last season.
  • The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic will once again be televised live on the Golf Channel all four days. As in previous years, organizers have scheduled a unique Sunday-Wednesday format, allowing for maximizing global television exposure. Golf Channel will air the the tournament live on Sunday, 12-2 p.m., Monday/Tuesday 2-5 p.m. and Wednesday’s final round will be televised from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Providence beats Cornell in a shootout for Fortress Invitational title

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Providence College Jack Dugan netted the shootout winner and Michael Lackey stopped all three shootout attempts as the No. 14 Friars claimed the 2020 Fortress Invitational after tying with No. 2 Cornell, 2-2 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. For NCAA purposes, the game is declared a tie after regulation and five minutes of 5-on-5 play.

Four Top-20 college hockey teams headline Fortress Invitational at T-Mobile Arena this weekend

LAS VEGAS, NEV. – Four nationally ranked teams take the ice this weekend at the third-annual Fortress Invitational at T-Mobile Arena, according to the new weekly rankings announced on Monday. The college hockey tournament is part of a full week of hockey action as the New Year begins which also features three Vegas Golden Knights home games starting today.

The action in the Fortress Invitational begins with first-round play on Friday at 5 p.m. with No. 14 Providence vs. No. 20 Army followed by No. 2 Cornell vs. No. 6 Ohio State at 8:30 p.m.

“There’s not a better in-season tournament this year than the Fortress Invitational,” said Brooks Downing, President of event organizer bdG Sports. “Vegas hockey fans are going to see four of the nation’s best teams. It’s truly a preview of the 2020 Frozen Four.”

Tournament organizers worked closely with Golden Knights’ president Kerry Bubolz and his team to create a triple-header on Saturday. Vegas, which plays Anaheim today and Philadelphia on Thursday, will open Saturday’s action against Stanley Cup-champion St. Louis at 1 p.m. The arena will be cleared following the game and the Fortress Invitational championship will be played at 5:30 p.m. followed by the consolation game at 9 p.m. All Fortress Invitational games will be televised live by FloSports on FloHockey.tv.

No. 2 Cornell ran off 10-straight wins to start the season before dropping a game to Dartmouth on Dec. 7, the last time the Big Red took the ice. Junior goaltender Matt Galajda earned top goaltender honors in the ECAC for the month of November, after not ceding more than two goals in any game during that month. No. 6 Ohio State (12-4-2 record on the season) has sweeps over Michigan and Michigan State earlier this season, and swept Colgate last weekend in its final tune-up before Vegas.

Providence College (10-5-4) is led by Tyce Thompson, the nation’s leading goal scorer with 14 goals, and Jack Dugan, who leads the nation in scoring and assists at 35 points and 29 assists, respectively. Dugan is a name many VGK fans may soon know as he is one the team’s top prospects after being selected in the fifth round of this summer’s draft. Army finished the 2019 portion of its schedule with a 13-5-1 record, the most wins in program history for the first half of a season.

Tickets are on-sale at AXS.com or by calling 888-9AXS-TIX. Ticket information and hotel room information for fans can be found at www.fortressinvitational.com

Tournament Schedule
Friday, Jan. 3

  • No. 14 Providence vs. No. 20 Army – 5 p.m.
  • No. 2 Cornell vs. No. 6 Ohio State – 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 4

  • Championship Game – 5:30 p.m.
  • Consolation Game – 9 p.m.