Kentucky Amateur champ Alex Goff

At the University of Kentucky, members of the golf team saw their inner circle rocked last month by the passing of Cullan Brown after a battle with cancer. None of them felt it more than his roommate, Alex Goff. But today at Lexington Country Club, Goff was able to celebrate again, winning the Kentucky Amateur Championship.

The moment wasn't lost on the champion, who opened the final round with birdies on the first two holes and never looked back.

“If I could say anything to (Cullan) right now, I would just tell him that I miss him,” Goff said. “I know he’s in a better place, probably shooting ducks or making the best meal he’s ever made, but we all miss him down here and I know I’ll see him again one day."

Goff recorded a final round of 2-under 70 and a total score of 12-under 204. That was good for a four-stroke victory over 2016 champion Andy Roberts.

Goff started the round three shots clear of Roberts. His lead quickly grew from three shots to five after the two early birdies, then grew to as many as seven strokes during the back nine. Despite two late bogeys, it was relatively clear sailing for the first-time champion.

Indeed, the sun peeked out for the first time all day when Goff and his playing partners were putting out on the 17th green in a moment that seemed like a friendly tip of the cap from the heavens.

"This week gave me the confidence though that I can play and compete with the best," said Goff. "We’re playing an all-SEC schedule this fall and our first tournament is in three or four weeks which I’m really looking forward to."

Goff said the tournament had a "major feel to it" as he relished his first victory as a UK golfer.

NOTES & STATS (courtesy Kentucky Golf Association)

Play was stopped and a minute of silence was observed this morning at 8:46 a.m., nineteen years to the date of the events of September 11th, 2001. Players, staff and officials paused to remember and pay tribute to those lost that day.

The low round of the day came from Denver Haddix with a score of 67 (-5). The round sent Haddix up the leaderboard into a final position of T14.

In other honors awarded on Friday, Hugo Archer was presented with the low junior award (T7), 2014 champion Tom Campbell was presented with the low senior award (T24), and Denver Haddix was presented with the award commemorating the low player from a public golf course (T9).

The easiest hole of the final round was the par-five 7th which played to a stroke-to-par average of -0.16, surrendering twenty birdies and an eagle from William Molen.

The hardest hole on Friday was the par-four 10th at +0.72. No birdies were made on it today and more than half the field made bogey or worse.