Local WKU men’s golfers chase same trophy at 107th Kentucky Open

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Tuesday, the 107th Kentucky Open presented by South Central Bank began at Indian Hills Country Club right here in town.

It’s the first time the prestigious tournament  has been held at Indian Hills in its longstanding history.

24 golfers from Bowling Green have been playing on familiar grounds, and three WKU men’s golfers, also locals to the country club, have been battling to make the final round on Thursday.

“It’s very fun. I think it’s more fun because it’s local and I play here a lot, and just the fact that it’s here close to my hometown is just nice,” WKU freshman Barton Rutledge said.

“100%. Sleeping in your own bed, not having to travel that far, I mean, we get to play here throughout the year with Western, so it helps a lot having this in my backyard,” WKU junior Reed Richey said. “I’m just fortunate to be out here.”

“There’s definitely a comfort factor that makes it very nice. Being able to sleep in your own bed, you don’t have to drive too far, so being comfortable with the course, it’s just makes everything a whole lot easier,” WKU senior Rafe Blankenship said.

Rutledge and Blankenship are graduates of Allen County-Scottsville High School, while Richey has purple in his veins as an alum of Bowling Green High School.

The crew would normally put in work on this very course for practice, but this time around is different, being locked into tournament play against one another.

“It’s awesome. You know, they’re some of my best friends, so it’s a ton of fun just getting a little bit of a smack talk beforehand, and being able to compete against them makes it a ton of fun,” Blankenship said.

The end goal is simple for each golfer: to have a moment lifting the trophy as the sole winner.

But the Hilltoppers are also using The Open as an opportunity to better their game before the start of a new collegiate season in September.

“It’s nice just knowing that, like, your team’s pretty good if you got three or four guys playing in the Kentucky Open, and that if they play solid, you know you’re going to go good into next season,” Rutledge said.

“Always having the competitive juices flowing is good going into the school year,” Richey said. “It just kind of lets me know this is what I have to work on, and this is what’s good right now. So, I’m ready for us to get back. I’m ready to start the season, go Tops.”

At the end of Round Two, all three Hilltoppers have qualified for the final day of play at The Open and are set to tee off in Thursday’s championship round.

Rutledge is set to start at 8 a.m., Richey at approximately 8:22 a.m., and Blankenship around 9:06 a.m.