LOUISVILLE, KY – The first round of the 105th Kentucky Open Championship Supported by MPC Promotions kicked off with intense competition and exceptional performances from the tournament's top contenders. Heavy overnight rains left the greens soft, providing scoring opportunities throughout the course. As the field navigated The University of Louisville Golf Club, birdies were dropping left and right. From seasoned veterans to rising stars, each player in the field set the stage for an exhilarating tournament ahead.

The morning wave was headlined by the 2020 Kentucky Golf Association Player of the Year Joshua Rhodes as he shot a six-under 66. The Paducah native and two-time Western Kentucky Amateur champion started his round with two birdies in his first three holes and finished the front nine with a 34 (-2). Rhodes made his only bogey of the day on the 12th hole, a 200-yard par-three. Fortunately, it was sandwiched with birdies on the 11th and 13th holes. After another birdie on the 15th hole, Rhodes capped off his round with an eagle on the short 508-yard par-five 17th hole. He was followed in the morning wave of players by Jay Kirchdorfer and Justin Warman who both finished their rounds at 67 (-5). 

As the afternoon slate hit the course, Daniel Iceman soared to the top of the leaderboard. The Louisville native and former University of Louisville golfer started his day on hole #10. He followed a birdie on hole #13 with an eagle on hole #17 to card a bogey-free 33 (-3) through his first nine holes. Iceman continued his remarkable run by scoring his second eagle of the day on hole #4. Four more birdies on his back-nine overshadowed Iceman's only bogey of the day, which came on the par-four hole #7. 

While Iceman was wreaking havoc on the leaderboard, Ashton Van Horne, the 2016 Kentucky Open champion, followed closely behind. He managed seven birdies and an eagle to stake his claim among the tournament's top contenders once again, finishing his round at 66(-6). Being a former champion, Van Horne's experience cannot be overlooked, and he is someone to keep an eye on as he seeks to etch his name on the Kentucky Open trophy once again. 

The afternoon wave also saw Shubham Jaglan and CJ Jones both card rounds of 67 (-5), keeping them in close contention heading into the second round. Ultimately, Iceman remained at the top of the leaderboard for the rest of the day. 

"It's always nice to come back and play at a place that is familiar," Iceman commented when asked about coming back to his old college stomping grounds this week. Being a product of the University of Louisville golf program, Iceman said that he usually gets to play a "handful of rounds" at the university course every year. "My main focus was to play the par-fives really well and keep the scorecard clean. I'm going to keep that same mindset going forward this week". The Louisville native also had the opportunity to compete in teh ISCO Championship, a PGA Tour event, earlier this summer. "Playing in a PGA Tour event is a lifetime dream of every golfer, and I was lucky enough to get to experience it firsthand. It definitely helped to strengthen my mindset coming into this week and inspired me with the confidence that I can compete at a high-level". Iceman is back in action tomorrow at 9:10 a.m. EST. 

The cut to make it into the final round of the tournament will be made after the second round of competition, which kicks off Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. The low seventy and tied players will advance to the final round of play on Thursday. Follow along with live scoring HERE to watch the cut-line develop and see who advances to the final round! 

A live broadcast will be hosted again tomorrow by My Town TV and can be found on the KYGolf.org homepage. 

NOTES AND STATS:

• Justin Warman led the field with 8 birdies on the round. 
• 10 eagles were scored on the day, with two coming from Daniel Iceman
• .Hole #14 proved to be the hardest hole of the day, playing 0.66 strokes above par. 
• Hole #18 played the easiest hole on the course, as the par 5 averaged a score of 4.64. The hole gave up 69 birdies and 76 par scores.
• The back-nine (37.86) played 1.38 strokes more difficult than the front-nine (36.48).

Golf House Kentucky extends its deep appreciation to the professional staff at the University of Louisville Golf Club head golf professional Chad Stocker, PGA as well as assistant professionals Brad Orick and Zach Frasher for their assistance in preparing and maintaining a wonderful championship environment. Golf House Kentucky also would like to thank the rest of the University of Louisville Golf Club staff for their hospitality as they have worked tirelessly to prepare the entire property, from the course to the clubhouse, for this year's tournament. Your hard work is appreciated, and we look forward to crowning a champion together on Thursday! 

Golf House Kentucky features full coverage of the 105th Kentucky Open Championship Supported by MPC Promotions on its Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages. Spectators are permitted at the venue throughout the competition and are welcome free of charge.

Click Here to View the Leaderboard

Click Here to View Round Two Tee Times

About the Kentucky PGA:

The Kentucky PGA Section (KPGA) is one of forty-one Sections across the country representing the PGA of America and its Members. It is also one of three organizations encompassed within Golf House Kentucky, including the Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) and Kentucky Golf Foundation (KGF). The KPGA contains more than 300 Members and more than 30 Associates working in various roles across Kentucky; all of whom share the goal of bettering the game and its players. The KPGA and its Members assist with the organization of many chief growth-of-the-game initiatives including PGA HOPE and PGA Jr. League among others. The Section also operates more than thirty tournaments throughout the golf season, including the three State Open championships and qualifiers for the Isco Championship.