Paducah’s Rhodes makes major move to take lead at Kentucky Amateur golf tournament
For a while on Wednesday, it looked like a pair of familiar faces would share the lead after the opening round of the 106th men’s Kentucky State Amateur golf tournament at Lexington Country Club.
Paducah native Joshua Rhodes had other ideas.
Rhodes’ approach shot on the par-4, No. 14 hole found its way into the cup for an eagle, vaulting him into a three-way tie with former champion Andy Roberts and University of Kentucky sophomore Alex Goff.
Rhodes went on to card his sixth birdie of the day on the par-5, No. 18 hole to claim the outright lead with a 6-under 66 heading into Thursday’s second round. The final round will be played on Friday.
Roberts, who won the tournament 10 years ago at Lexington Country Club, also sank six birdies during the opening round and finished tied for second with Goff with a 5-under 67. Roberts’ only blemish was a bogey on hole No. 10.
Goff’s lone bogey in the opening round was on the par-5, No. 12 hole. As a redshirt freshman at UK, Goff started all six events in the Wildcats’ shortened 2019-2020 season and was second on the team with a stroke average of 73.
Ex-Asbury standout Steven Brooks is fourth at 3-under, while former Wildcat Allen Hamilton is fifth at 2-under. Kentucky senior Jacob Cook is one of seven players tied for sixth at 1-under along with former Transylvania University basketball player and Lexington native Spencer McKinney.
Leaderboard
Joshua Rhodes, 66
Alex Goff, 67
Andy Roberts, 67
Steven Brooks, 69
Allen Hamilton, 70
Jacob Cook, 71
Kevin Waldie, 71
Trey Bowling, 71
William Molen, 71
Bradley Sutherland, 71
Brandon Berry, 71
Spencer McKinney, 71
Campbell Kremer, 72
Garrett Wood, 72
Justin Tereshko, 72
Zach Norris, 72
Greg Turcotte, 72
Tyler Sharpe, 72
Andrew Marrs, 73
Cooper Parks, 73
Matt Epperson, 73
Ben Fuqua, 73
Evan Davis, 73
Jack Bergstrom, 73
Jeb Brumley, 73
Matthew Martin, 73
Michael Reed, 73
Click here to view the full leaderboard for the 106th men’s Kentucky State Amateur golf tournament.
