Bowling, Hawkins share lead at Kentucky Open

15-YEAR-OLD IS TWO SHOTS BEHIND

By Mike Fields - mfields@herald-leader.com

LOUISVILLE — When you're from the basketball hotbed of Clay County and your name is “Trey,” it's assumed you're adept at putting the ball in the hole.

That's certainly true about Trey Bowling, but he does it with golf clubs, not a jump shot, as he's proving in the 89th Kentucky Open.

Thursday
Final round
Where: Audubon Country Club, Louisville

Bowling, a senior at Eastern Kentucky University, fired a 6-under par 66 at Audubon Country Club on Wednesday, following a 69 on Tuesday.

That gave him a share of the lead at 9-under with Troy Hawkins (68-67) going into Thursday's final round.

Cory Kaufman (66-71), Robby Shaw (68-69) and Justin Thomas (67-70) are next on the leader board, followed by former PGA Tour player Ted Schulz (71-67).

Bowling has a basketball background, having played for Clay County for five years.

“I fed the post and shot the three,” he said.

But golf was his true love.

He finished ninth in the state golf tournament as a junior and fifth as a senior. He was runner-up to Matt Savage of St. Xavier in the Mr. Golf points race.

Bowling is one of the pace-setters in this Kentucky Open after a stellar second round.

“Probably the best ball-striking day as far as 18 consecutive holes that I've ever had,” he said. “It seemed I had 15 feet for birdie on every hole, and I took advantage of most.

“One bogey, seven birdies — you can't ask for much more than that.”

Hawkins, an Elizabethtown native who graduated from Western Kentucky last year, has had a mostly trouble-free tournament.

“I've hit a lot of fairways and greens and had a few putts roll in. No headaches. I haven't had to work real hard,” said Hawkins, who was a top-10 finisher in the 2006 Kentucky Open.

Kaufman, a mini-tour veteran, kept himself in contention with a 1-under 71 after a sizzling 66 on Tuesday. He figures he'll need to go as low as 65 on Thursday to win.

Shaw, 24, has been steady, and the former WKU golfer has experience on his side. He was runner-up in this event in 2006.

Thomas, 15, is playing in the Open for the first time.

The St. Xavier sophomore is something of a phenom.

Even though he weighs only 125 pounds — “I swing as hard as I can and hope it goes in the right direction,” he said with a laugh — he has a complete game, including confidence.

“This is just another golf tournament,” he said. “I've played in tournaments with fields just as good. I shouldn't look at it any different just because pros are in it.

“I come into every tournament expecting to win, so obviously, I came in here looking for the ‘W.' ”

So did Schulz, who was on the PGA Tour in the late 1980s and early '90s and won the 1991 Los Angeles Open.

Now 48, he's getting back into competitive golf in anticipation of joining the Champions Tour in 2010.

He had his game in gear on Wednesday, rolling in six birdies with nary a hiccup until he bogeyed the last hole.

But he likes his position going into the final round.

“Three back, that's not too bad,” he said. “I would've taken that getting up this morning.”

Former UK golfer Andrew Stephens had the best finish with an eagle, five birdies, two pars and a bogey on the back nine for a 36-30—66, which left him five shots out of the lead.

Defending champ Phil Hendrickson (71-69) is also five shots out. Seventy-seven golfers made the cut, which was at 148, 4-over par.

Kentucky Open scores

At Lousiville

6,720-yard, par-72 Audubon C.C.

Trey Bowling, Manchester 69-66�135

Troy Hawkins, Elizabethtown 68-67�135

Cory Kaufman, Louisville 66-71�137

Justin Thomas, Goshen 67-70�137

Robby Shaw, Louisville 68-69�137

Ted Schulz, Louisville 71-67�138

Alex Volpenhein, Edgewood 71-69�140

Andrew Stephens, Union 74-66�140