‘Win one for Cullan.’ With lost teammate on mind, UK golfer dominates State Amateur.
A young University of Kentucky standout just made a resounding case that he’s the best men’s amateur golfer in the Bluegrass State — and he did it with a lost teammate on his mind.
UK redshirt sophomore Alex Goff finished off a dominant run in the 106th men’s Kentucky Amateur tournament at Lexington Country Club on Friday, firing a 2-under 70 in the final round to claim the title by four strokes over former champion Andy Roberts.
Goff carried a three-stroke lead into Friday after shooting a 67 in each of the first two rounds. After finishing play on Thursday, Goff was clearly thinking about former UK teammate Cullan Brown, who just over a month ago passed away after battling a rare form of bone cancer for nearly a year.
“UK golf has been through a lot the last couple months with Cullan’s passing,” Goff said. “We’re just one big family and it would really mean a lot to win one for Cullan.”
Mission accomplished.
Goff ran away from the field on the front nine Friday, making birdie on four holes and building a seven-shot lead at the turn.
Goff shot a 12-under 204 for the tournament, carding 19 total birdies against just six bogeys.
“If I could say anything to (Cullan) right now, I would just tell him that I miss him,” Goff said following Friday’s final round. “I know he’s in a better place, probably shooting ducks or making the best meal he’s ever made, but we all miss him down here and I know I’ll see him again one day.”
Roberts, an Owensboro native who won the Kentucky Amateur four years ago when it was held at Bellefonte Country Club in Ashland, finished with an 8-under 208. He and Goff were the only competitors to shoot under par in all three rounds this year.
Goff, a native of Kings Mountain, N.C., who redshirted his first year at UK before becoming one of the team’s top players this past season, hopes his Kentucky Amateur victory can act as a springboard to even more success.
“This week gave me the confidence ... that I can play and compete with the best. We’re playing an all-SEC schedule this fall and our first tournament is in three or four weeks which I’m really looking forward to,” Goff said.
During Kentucky’s shortened 2019-2020 season Goff started all six events and was second on the team with a stroke average of 73. He led the Wildcats with four top-20 finishes.
“It just feels good to win,” Goff said of the Kentucky Amateur. “It’s my first real win ever since becoming a member of UK and this tournament had a major feel to it all week. I’m happy to get it done.”
Paducah native Josh Rhodes led after the first round of the Kentucky Amateur and finished third at 6-under, while former Transylvania University standout Bradley Sutherland was fourth at 2-under.
University of Kentucky senior Jacob Cook and Lexington’s Justin Tereshko, a former University of Louisville assistant who is now the men’s and women’s head golf coach at Hanover College in Indiana, tied for fifth at 1-under. No other competitors finished under par for the tournament.
Kentucky Amateur leaderboard
Par-72 (216)
Alex Goff, 204
Andy Roberts, 208
Joshua Rhodes, 210
Bradley Sutherland, 214
Justin Tereshko, 215
Jacob Cook, 215
Hugo Archer, 216
Evan Davis, 216
Matt Epperson, 217
Steven Brooks, 217
Justin Warman, 218
Ben Fuqua, 218
Cooper Collins, 218
Alex Martin, 219
Garrett Wood, 219
Campbell Kremer, 219
Denver Haddix, 219
Cooper Parks, 219
Zach Norris, 220
Jack Bergstrom, 221
Allen Hamilton, 222
Simon Brown, 222
Trey Bowling, 222
Brandon Berry, 223
Matthew Martin, 223
Thomas Campbell, 223
Zac Viminitz, 223
Kevin Waldie, 223
Joseph Muschong, 223
Tyler Sharpe, 224
Jay Nimmo, 224
Spencer McKinney, 224
Jay Kirchdorfer, 224
Matthew Mahle, 224
Ryan Gillum, 224
Luke Muller, 225
Davis Boland, 225
David Jasper, 225
Buddy Bryant, 226
Eric King, 226
Andrew Marrs, 227
Tony Wise, 228
William Molen, 228
Aaron Eldridge, 229
Andrew Strother, 230
Dillon Biddle, 230
Logan Sims, 230
Rus Whalen, 230
Reid Bedell, 230
Kyle Jameson, 231
Greg Turcotte, 231
Jeb Brumley, 232
Logan Edelen, 232
Alex Doss, 233
Koby Hastings, 234
Tyler Fields, 234
Justin Charles, 235
Tadd Switzer, 236
Billy Basham, 236
Logan Conn, 237
Aaron Yarmuth, 238
Camron Turner, 238
Chase Carpenter, 239
Stephen Warren, 240
Click here to view the final standings for the 106th men’s Kentucky State Amateur golf tournament.
