Ex-UK golfer Mark Blakefield wins ADI Classic

GEORGETOWN — Mark Blakefield calls Maysville home, but the former University of Kentucky golfer ought to consider opening a bank account in Georgetown.

On Sunday, Blakefield won the Hooters Tour's ADI Classic at Cherry Blossom Golf Club for the second time in three years and pocketed another $30,000.

"I don't really know why, but this course just fits my eye nice, and I feel comfortable out there," Blakefield said.

His comfort level was obvious all week as he scorched Cherry Blossom with rounds of 68-65-65-67 for a 23-under total and a two-shot victory.

It was Blakefield's second win on the Hooters Tour this year, and put him atop the money list with $62,673.

He was on top of his game this week. He didn't have a bogey after the seventh hole of Thursday's opening round.

Former Alabama golfer Chip Deason and former Xavier player Andy Pope tied for second at 21-under.

Brandon Brown of Shelbyville, a former Eastern Kentucky University golfer who was playing his first competitive golf in seven months, tied for fourth at 20-under.

Blakefield won the inaugural ADI Classic in 2008 with a 10-under score, but that spring the rough was brutal and the greens were quick.

This time around the rough was shorter, and heavy rains left the greens softer and slower. The golfers took full advantage, as was illustrated by Chris Erwin's course-record 59 on Friday and Ben Briscoe's 61 on Saturday.

But while Erwin and Briscoe couldn't bottle their lightning — they finished in a tie for 25th place — Blakefield was the picture of consistency with his short game.

"I had a lot of good up-and-downs and didn't really miss any putts I was supposed to make," he said. "I made a lot of good par putts, and that's pretty much what kept me on top this week."

Blakefield began the final round tied with three other players at 18-under.

With a cluster of family and friends from Maysville providing support, Blakefield got off to a fast start. He birdied the first, third and fifth holes to seize the lead, and he never relinquished it.

He had a two-putt birdie at the par-5 ninth to make the turn 4-under for the day and 22-under for the tournament. He had just one birdie on the back, at the par-5 14th, but that was enough. He hung on, thanks to nifty up-and-downs at the 16th and 18th.

"I didn't really waste much," Blakefield said. "I got the most out of my rounds this week."

Deason, who was in the final group with Blakefield, said he was playing in memory of his 10-year-old cocker spaniel, Leroy, who died from cancer on Wednesday.

"I wanted to win for him, but it didn't work out."

It was an encouraging week of golf for Brown, who decided last November to step away from the game.

"I didn't touch a club for four months," he said. "I needed some time off from all the traveling, and I wasn't playing well."

He started practicing again in March, and the ADI Classic was his first foray back into competition.

He shot 64-67-68-69—268 and won $8,329. "I was very pleased," he said. "I had three bogeys and 23 birdies, so it was a solid week."

Brown figured Blakefield would be difficult to catch.

"Mark has been in that spot before, so I didn't think he'd come back any," Brown said.

Blakefield agreed that his history at Cherry Blossom helped him down the stretch.

"It was pretty much the same situation as it was two years ago," he said. "So I knew what I needed to do."

This story was originally published May 24, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Ex-UK golfer Mark Blakefield wins ADI Classic."