The Cardinals return to action after an 11th-place finish at the difficult Puerto Rico Classic during the first week of February. Brady Smith was the UofL top finisher for the tournament as he shot a 5-under-par 211. The sophomore carded 71-72-68=211 to place in 33rd place. Smith would birdie three of his last six holes on the day to tie with Easton Johnson for 33rd. Johnson also shot a 5-under-par 211 after posting a final round score of 72.
The Cardinals face another difficult field with eight teams ranked in the top 25, including No. 1 Virginia and No. 2 LSU.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS [National ranking]
Ranked: Virginia [#1], Auburn [#2], LSU [#6], Texas Tech [#11], Alabama [#15], North Carolina [#17], Duke [#20], Charlotte [#21]
Unranked: Liberty, UCF, USF, Clemson, South Carolina, Louisville, Coastal Carolina
Action begins Saturday and will run through Monday, with the 16 teams playing 18 holes each day.
LOUISVILLE LINEUP
Easton Johnson
- Has appeared in six events events in the fall
- Tied for eighth at the Minnesota Golf Classic.
- 73.00 stroke average.
- Three top-20 finishes
- Appeared in all six events
- Two top-10 finishes in the spring.
- Placed second at the Blessings Collegiate.
- 71.94 stroke average
- Tied for third on the team in stroke average.
- Tied for fifth at the Blessings
- Shot 1-under par at the Fighting Irish Classic
- Makes his team debut
- Shot 3-under-par to win the Golden Flash Classic
THE COURSE
Founded in 1974, Sawgrass Country Club expanded to 27 holes of golf in the 80’s. The original 18-hole course consists of the East and West nines, designed by Ed Seay, and is now joined by the equally challenging South Course by Robert Walker, who also renovated the other nines. The club hosted the Players Championship from 1977 through 1981, where it was played on the East and West nines in mid- to late March. It moved to adjacent TPC Sawgrass in 1982, where it has been played every year since, and was renamed The Players Championship in 1988.
LIVE SCORING
Will be available on