After a long trip to California, the UF women's golf team will have a long trip back to Gainesville.
The Gators just could not escape the middle of the leaderboard in the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif.
The team finished the tournament tied for eighth place out of 16 teams with a score of 96 over par. In Wednesday's third round, the team shot 30 over par.
Freshman Evan Jensen's third-round score was the lowest single-round score of the tournament for the Gators. She shot 3 over par and knocked in three birdies on the day. Jensen got off to a good start with a score of 1 under par in her first nine holes.
"I just stayed really patient and tried to go through my routine every time," she said.
Her third-round score was a big improvement from her first two rounds, which totaled 17 over par.
"I just hit the ball overall better today," Jensen said. "I think every day you play this course you get a little bit better," Jensen said.
Usually dependable Jessica Yadloczky could not find a rhythm in the final round and shot 11 over par, the worst score of the day for the Gators. She struggled with nine bogeys and one double bogey. Her tournament score of 19 over par, however, was the best on the team.
Andrea Watts and Lauren Uzelatz both shot mediocre rounds. Watts finished the day with a score of 7 over par, while Uzelatz shot 9 over.
If the team learned anything in this tournament, it is the importance of being patient, Jensen said.
"I think we have all learned patience and that you can't force it," she said. "You have to be patient and let it come to you."
Arizona State won the tournament with a score of 46 over par.
The Gators hope the experience they gained this week will help them in the long run.
"We are definitely young and still learning," Jensen said. "So any kind of experience we can get will help us for the next tournament."
The Gators will be back in action on Feb. 22 at the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate in South Carolina.
