PADUCAH, KY (April 19, 2021) - One of the primary goals with the Golf House Kentucky Classics for this season was to provide more opportunities for the state’s top amateurs and professionals in the state to compete at the same venue side by side. It seems safe to say the first of three editions of these tournaments well exceeded the mark, with some of the best golfers in the state taking on one of the best golf courses in the state during one of the best days of weather the state has seen so far in 2021.

At Country Club of Paducah, Josh Rhodes, the reigning Kentucky Golf Association Player of the Year, recorded the best round of the day on the Robert Trent Jones design by scoring 69 (-3). Five birdies on the day, including four on the back nine, led Rhodes to edging Jay Nimmo by one stroke for both the best overall score on the day and best score among the Open Division amateurs. 

The low professional was Mitchell Moore, who carded 72 (E) to clip Blake Watts by a stroke for that distinction. Both Moore and Watts will soon be departing for Florida to compete in the PGA Professional Championship which begins Sunday, and Country Club of Paducah served as a good warm-up in advance of that event. For Moore, despite being +2 through eight holes, an inward half of 34 (-2) brought him back up the leaderboard for what ultimately ended up being the fifth best round of the tournament across all divisions.

On the senior front, Paducah legend Jim Brown took low senior amateur honors after shooting 73 (+1). He and Allen Hayes finished tied at that mark, and a subsequent sudden-death playoff gave Brown the nod in claiming sole honors for low senior am. Brown, a multi-time winner of the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Kentucky Amateur, who also recorded an impressive T5 finish at this venue two years ago in the State Am, can notch another accolate to his stout resume with today’s result. 

Al Chrouser was the low senior professional by virtue of a round of 82 (+10), as the silver fox is off and running in his quest for being the KPGA’s ROLEX Senior Player of the Year.

NOTES & STATS

• One eagle was made on the day and that came courtesy of David Huffman on the par-four 15th. The Head Professional at South Park Country Club holed out from approximately 100 yards on his way to a round of 78 (+6). 
• The hardest hole on the golf course was the par-four 16th. The long, downhill hole with water fronting the left side of the putting surface featured a stroke-to-par average of +0.98 with Carson Stone and Stephen Warren turning in the only birdies on that hole throughout the day.
• Two holes later, players were met by what ended up being the day’s easiest hole as the par-five 18th averaged out at -0.10 with seventeen birdies made.

Golf House Kentucky extends its thanks to Chad Martin, PGA Head Golf Professional at Country Club of Paducah and his staff for helping create a successful tournament today. Appreciation is expressed as well to each player who competed in today’s event. 

Click here for the final results

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For the Kentucky Golf Association, next up is the first KGA Am Series event of the year which takes place a week from today on April 26 from University Club of Kentucky (Big Blue). The Kentucky PGA is off next week, but will be back on May 3 with the Pro-Senior from Big Spring Country Club - Harmony Landing Course. Kentucky’s amateurs and professionals will next find themselves on the same property on May 4 during the U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Cherry Blossom Golf Club, while the next Golf House Kentucky Classic takes place at Persimmon Ridge Golf Club on June 1.