Maynard and Oldendick top crowded leaderboard at Olde Stone.

BOWLING GREEN, KY (September 12, 2022) – Round one of the 71^st Kentucky PGA Professional Championship set the stage for what could be one of the most exciting conclusions in the championship’s storied history. On Monday, play began from The Club at Olde Stone with 44 Members of the Section chasing the valuable title and three spots in the 2023 PGA Professional Championship. At day’s end, Brad Maynard, PGA and Bruce Oldendick, PGA lead the way at 71 (-1) and are among sixteen players within six shots of the lead.

Maynard’s name was at the top of the standings from the outset after starting on hole 10. Four quick birdies on the 11^th, 12^th, 14^th, and 15^th holes got him to -4 early on and set the pace for the rest of the field. Oldendick, the runner-up in last month’s Senior Section Championship, was able to stay on Maynard’s heels with four birdies of his own on his outward nine. They each ended up with the only sub-par rounds of the day, matching 71 (-1) to share the overnight lead.

Behind them is a crowded assortment of some of the Section’s top players. Trailing them by a stroke are Colby Wollitz, PGA, Jesse Massie, PGA and Tom Walters, PGA. Two shots behind the leaders lurk Mitchell Moore, PGA and Grover Justice, PGA. The who’s who of the Section continues beyond them, with many players sitting within shouting distance of the leaders.

While first place will be a coveted position on Tuesday afternoon, the top-three will be just as sought after given its pathway to New Mexico for next year’s showcase event of the top PGA Professionals across the country. Because Oldendick is playing from the senior tees and one tee box up from the championship tee, he is not eligible for one of those spots. That means Wollitz, Massie, Walters and everyone behind them are that much closer to a trip to the Land of Enchantment.

NOTES & STATS

• Olde Stone’s hardest hole to start the tournament was the par-four 4^th. Playing at a stroke-to-par average of +0.74, only one birdie was made on it which came from Maynard.
• The 4^th hole rounded out a difficult opening stretch to the golf course. The par-four 1^st was the second hardest hole of the day while the par-three 3^rd was the third hardest. Hole 3 was also the only hole on the golf course without any birdies made on it.
• Happier times were generally found on the par-four 14^th as that was Monday’s easiest hole. It yielded the most birdies with twelve and was the only hole to average a score below par at -0.02.
• The back nine played more than a full stroke easier than the front nine. Players averaged 40.07 shots to get through holes 1-9 compared to 39.00 on holes 10-18.

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Click here to view Tuesday’s tee times

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Golf House Kentucky will have full coverage of the final round on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. When the final group on Tuesday reaches the 18^th hole, a live-stream of the finish will be available to view on Facebook. If a playoff is needed to determine the champion, that will also be live-streamed.

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, which also includes the Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) and Kentucky Golf Foundation (KGF). The KPGA contains more than 275 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 Barbasol Championship.

Media Contact:
Ethan Fisher, PGA | Golf House Kentucky | efisher@kygolf.org | (502) 792-9703