The Florida women’s golf team concluded the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic on Sunday, finishing with a tournament total of 944 (314-322-308, +80), good for an 18th-place finish.
The Gators had their best finish of the tournament on Sunday, carding 14 strokes under their Saturday score for a total of 308. However, Florida’s disappointing finish may be due more to the course rather than its play.
“The University of Georgia golf course is a very difficult golf course,” coach Jan Dowling said. “[It has] fast greens, which were even faster because of the winds throughout the weekend. We need to take the positives from the weekend.
“One of the greatest positives is that it was a great short game workout. The later you get in the season, the more difficult the golf courses are going to get and you just have to figure out a way to putt well.”
While all of the UF squad improved their second-round scores, the closest they came to the top of the leaderboard was a tie for 28th, claimed by freshman Mia Piccio. Piccio not only led the Gators with the low scores every round of the weekend, but she also improved her score each day. She shot a three-round total of 231 (79-78-74, +15).
Sophomore Marika Lendl followed six spots and two strokes behind Piccio and ended in a tie for 34th. She carded a 54-hole score of 233 (77-79-77, +17).
Lendl’s sister, freshman Isabelle Lendl, carded a four-over-par 76. She shot a 239 total (82-81-76, +23) and tied for 69th.
Sophomore Evan Jensen took three strokes off her previous round’s score and finished the tournament in a tie for 81st with a 25-over 241.
Rounding out the lineup in her first top-five appearance, freshman Megan Pak finished in 116th with a total score of 258 (84-88-86, +52).
“It was her first college event, and she was probably a little bit nervous,” Dowling said. “She didn’t play anywhere near her potential, but she’s going to learn from it and leave this tournament knowing things she can work on and that’s a good thing.”
