Six Kentuckians among season-opening Korn Ferry Tour event

GEORGE TOWN, Exuma The Bahamas – Six players with Kentucky ties will be among the 132-player field when the new season of the Korn Ferry Tour launches on Sunday at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay. The four-day tournament will conclude next Wednesday and at stake with be an increased purse of $750,000. Lexington-based sports marketing firm bdG Sports is managing the event, along with next week’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic in the northern Bahamas.

The Korn Ferry Tour is the “path to the PGA TOUR.” The Top 25 after the end of the 26-event regular season will earn their TOUR cards for the 2022-23 season, and after the three-week KFT playoff, another 25 will earn their cards.

Two of the Kentuckians played at Scott County High School in Georgetown, Ky., Kyle Wilshire and B.T. Sargent. Wilshire, who played collegiately at Central Florida, entered the fall playing perhaps his best as a professional. He Monday-qualified in the PGA TOUR’s Bermuda Championship in October and then made the cut. The next month, he again Monday-qualified for the RSM Classic, also on the PGA TOUR. Sargent turned pro in 2019 and made seven starts last season on the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing as high as 35th in his last outing in September.

Yet it’s opportunities like this week in Exuma where both players earned a sponsor’s exemption from bdG Sports that can lead to the prized PGA TOUR membership.

“I think seeing six Kentucky golfers in the field of 132 is a direct result of the success others from our state have had in the game,” said Wilshire, who turned pro in 2014. “Guys like JB Holmes gave us confidence that we had the chance to play on the PGA TOUR, as have Mark Blakefield and Josh Teater who are here competing this week and have made a career out of playing this game. Golf in Kentucky is strong and it obviously is well represented throughout professional golf.”

The competition will be stiff on the Greg Norman-designed course, which will play 7,001 yards and features six ocean-front holes. The field includes 12 past PGA TOUR winners who have compiled 22 PGA TOUR titles, led by Aaron Baddeley and Sean O’Hair with four apiece. The event also includes three of the past four champions of the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic: Kyle Thompson, Zecheng Dou and Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey will be paired together in the first and second rounds.

“After having to suspend the 2021 Exuma and Abaco events due to the global pandemic, we are thrilled to be back in The Bahamas to kick off the season,” said Brooks Downing, President & CEO of bdG Sports. “And as fellow Kentuckians, this is our opportunity to give back to golf in the Bluegrass, which has such a rich history in the sport. If these players are to play well this week, this could be a life-altering opportunity.”

The six players with Kentucky ties are:

  • John Augenstein – an Owensboro, Ky., native who earned his Korn Ferry Tour status through Q School; won the 2014 KHSAA individual state title, was a four-time All-American at Vanderbilt and the 2020 SEC Player of the Year; was runner-up for the 2019 US Amateur which earned him a spot in the 2020 US Open and the 2020 Masters, where he finished T55th; turned pro in 2021 after the Masters. Just earned his card on the KFT.
  • Mark Blakefield – a Maysville, Ky., native who was Mr. Golf in the state in 1999 at St. Patrick High; played at Kentucky, graduating in 2005 and turned pro in 2006. Had a top-10 finish in Exuma in 2020; playing this year on a sponsor’s exemption.
  • Patrick Newcomb – a Benton, Ky., native who played at Murray State; Turned pro in 2013 and was a 2017 Q School grad who made 22 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2018; Spent last season on the Latino-America Tour before once again finishing in the top 40 at Q School this past fall to earn KFT status.
  • Josh Teater – Lexington native and former Morehead State star who turned pro in 2001 and has played more than 200 events on the PGA Tour; has earned $6 million playing professional golf; had a career-best 2nd-place finish at the Bermuda Open in 2020; currently has status on the Korn Ferry Tour.
  • BT Sargent – a former Scott County standout who played collegiately at Western Kentucky; turned professional in 2019 and is making his eighth Korn Ferry Tour start; highest finish was 35th at the Lincoln Land Championship in September; won a mini-tour event last month, the Daytona Open.
  • Kyle Wilshire – former Scott County standout and Central Florida grad who in the fall, Monday-qualified for the Bermuda Championship, a PGA TOUR event, and made the cut, as well as the RSM Classic. He was a Korn Ferry Tour member in 2017 and earned a sponsor’s exemption into Exuma.

bdG Sports has managed the two tournaments in the Bahamas since 2017. Both events were suspended last year due to the global pandemic. This is the first year of a new three-year agreement with title sponsor Bahamas Tourism, and the following week will mark the first time back in Abaco since 2019, prior to Hurricane Dorian, which ravaged the small island.

2.8 million viewers tune in for Duke-Gonzaga in Continental Tire Challenge

Last Friday’s Duke-Gonzaga men’s college basketball game averaged 2.79 million viewers on ESPN, the largest audience for a college basketball game prior to New Year’s Day since the same matchup in the 2018 Maui Invitational final (2.85M).

Duke’s win ranks as easily the most-watched game of the young season, cruising past the previous high of 1.78 million for Duke-Kentucky in the Champions Classic. It also averaged more viewers than all-but-one NBA game so far this season, Warriors-Lakers on Opening Night (3.39M).

No. 13 Iowa State takes home Gulf Coast Showcase women’s championship

ESTERO, Florida – No. 13 Iowa State (7-0) closed out the Gulf Coast Showcase with a tough 76-71 win over UMass (7-1) to grab the Gulf Coast Showcase Championship. The win gives the 13th-ranked Cyclones an unblemished 7-0 record to start the season.

Against the Minutewomen, Iowa State was led by Ashley Joens and Lexi Donarski, who both finished with 23 points in the championship game, en route to being named to the All-Tournament team, with Joens being honored as the Tournament MVP.

Louisville tops Maryland to win Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship

NASSAU, Bahamas — — Malik Williams had 13 points, 12 rebounds and four steals, Jarrod West scored seven of his nine points in the final five minutes and Louisville beat Maryland 63-55 on Saturday to win the Bahamas Championship.

West gave Louisville the lead for good at 52-49 with a long 3-pointer. He added a layup in the lane and found Williams with a nice pass to make it 58-53, and the Cardinals led by two possessions the rest of the way.

No. 5 Duke takes out No. 1 Gonzaga in a classic at the Continental Tire Challenge

LAS VEGAS — In the second half of his team’s electric 84-81 win over No. 1 Gonzaga on Friday night in front of a sold-out T-Mobile Arena crowd, Duke forward Paolo Banchero experienced a terrible case of deja vu.

His cramping issues — the same cramping issues that had interrupted his debut in a season-opening win over Kentucky — had returned and stalled him after he scored 20 of his game-high 21 points in the first half.

A record 20,389 fans witness Duke battle Gonzaga in the Continental Tire Challenge

LAS VEGAS – A record crowd of 20,389 witnessed the clash of the unbeatens between No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 5 Duke at T-Mobile Arena. The capacity crowd topped the previous mark of 20,321 set on Dec. 29, 1986 when UNLV beat a David Robinson-led Navy squad at Thomas & Mack Center. The previous basketball record for T-Mobile Arena was set on Dec. 10, 2016 when 19,107 fans saw Duke beat UNLV in the arena’s first college basketball game.

Oakland claims Gulf Coast Showcase men’s title

ESTERO, Fla. —The Oakland men’s basketball team won the Gulf Coast Showcase title game over Delaware, 81-73, on Wednesday night at Hertz Arena.

The Golden Grizzlies (5-2) went 3-0 at the tournament with victories over Vermont, Rice, and Delaware (4-2). Following the game, graduate senior Jamal Cain earned tournament MVP honors while junior point guard Jalen Moore was voted to the all-tournament team.

ETSU beats Kent State to win Naples Invitational championship

NAPLES, Fla. – From Murray State to Missouri State to Kent State.

The ETSU men’s basketball team completed the all “State” trifecta en route to capturing the inaugural Naples Invitational Championship as the Buccaneers defeated Kent State 57-51 in Wednesday’s title game from the Moe Kent Family Fieldhouse.

Arizona captures Roman Main Event championship 80-62 over Michigan

LAS VEGAS — — Christian Koloko’s mother flew from Cameroon to see her son play for Arizona for the first time. He didn’t disappoint, dominating at both ends.

His team looked pretty good, too, dominating No. 4 Michigan 80-62 Sunday night in the Roman Main Event.

Koloko finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots, pointing to his mother after being presented the title belt as tournament MVP.

“She doesn’t know much about basketball,” Koloko said. “I remember after the last game, she said we missed a lot goals. I was like no, we call those free throws, which was kind of funny. I’m going to go talk to her after this.”