LEXINGTON, KY - The 2024 Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Mid-Amateur Championship kicked off at Griffin Gate Golf Club this morning with early signs that fall is right around the corner. A cool breeze weaved through the tree-lined course where bursts of color were starting to peek out. The calm morning quickly shifted to excitement as the field got off to a blazing start, and Justin Tereshko bolted to the top of the leaderboard at 12-under-par through thirty-six holes of play. 

Tereshko, who serves as the head men’s golf coach at Eastern Kentucky University, kicked his first round off the tenth tee and proceeded to make four birdies through his first nine holes. His first bogey of the day came on hole #3, a short but difficult par-five where trees, water, and bunkers all come into play. Despite the slip-up, Tereshko finished the first round with a birdie on his final hole to record a respectable 67(-5). 

Only two players went lower than Tereshko in the first round. Matt Epperson, a former Kentucky Mid-Am champion, recorded a bogey-free 65(-7) that included five birdies in his final nine holes. Jacob Cook, who won the KGA Match Play Championship earlier this summer, shot a first round 66(-6) via an eagle and three birdies on holes #1-6. 

While he sat a few shots back after the first round, Tereshko quickly took matters into his own hands as he took on the second eighteen holes of the day. Starting his round on the tenth tee again, the former Kentucky Open and Kentucky Amateur champion recorded four straight birdies to race off with the solo lead. He never looked back, making nine birdies in the round and finishing at 65(-7) to set the standard at -12 heading into the final round of play. 

Both Epperson and Cook struggled in the second round of the long thirty-six hole day, shooting 72(E) and 74(+2) respectively. Some late movers included Cook’s former University of Kentucky teammate Evan Cox (-10) who recorded a second round 66(-6) to find himself just two shots back of the lead. Former Kentucky Mid-Am champion Josh Rhoades (-9) also went low in the second round, finishing at 67(-5). Finally, Danville’s Ben Kendrick (-8) showed out in the second round with an impressive 66(-6).

Divisional Leaders (18 Holes):
Senior Division - Davis Boland - 70(-2)

Masters Division - David Combs - 68(-4)

Legends Division - Bruce Walters 71(-1)

Click Here to View Final Round Pairings and Tee Times

Click Here to View the Full Leaderboard and Course Statistics

The Kentucky Golf Association would like to thank Vince Prather and the entire team at Griffin Gate Golf Club for their extremely generous hospitality in preparing and hosting this week’s event. The KGA would also like to thank Clark’s Pump-N-Shop for their support of this event and their continued support of amateur golf across the state of Kentucky. 

About the KGA: 

The Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) is recognized by the USGA as the governing body for amateur golf in the Commonwealth.  Founded in 1911, the KGA is a full-service golf association comprised of over 120 member golf courses.  The KGA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of representatives from courses across Kentucky. The KGA serves and fulfills many roles for golf in Kentucky.  The KGA is a founding member of Golf House Kentucky, the umbrella organization that manages Kentucky’s Family of Golf Organizations.

Media Contact:

Carter Hammond | Golf House Kentucky | chammond@kygolf.org | (502) 379-4854