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Thursday, March 28, 2024

High expectations are common for the UF women’s golf team. Heading into the first round of its tournament Sunday, sophomore Mia Piccio was one of the latest to be in that spotlight.

She shined.

Piccio had four birdies Sunday — three on the back nine — en route to a team-leading 70 (-2) at the Cougar Classic at Yeamans Hall Golf Club in Hanahan, S.C.

Coach Jan Dowling said Piccio played consistently throughout the round, keeping the ball in the fairway and finding the green frequently on the back side.

“She hit a ton of fairways, obviously made some putts,” Dowling said. “It was fun to watch.”

Piccio is tied for second in individual scoring with Katie Detlefsen of Central Florida and one back of North Carolina’s Courtney Gunter at 69 (-3).

The No. 19 Gators sit in fourth place, but only seven shots back, after the first round of play with a team score of 292 (+4). North Carolina leads the 21-team field at 285 (-3).

“We’re in the ballpark, which is great and all we can ask for,” Dowling said. “There’s lots of golf left to be played.”

After an up-and-down outing in its first tournament at the TPC at Sawgrass, Dowling said her team remained composed Sunday and she is excited for what’s to come.

“That’s going to allow us to shoot those low numbers,” she said. “Emotionally, there’s no roller coasters going on. It’s going to allow us to go low when everyone gets hot.”

Junior Evan Jensen played steady on the 6,210-yard layout shooting a +1 round of 73. Jensen parred 15 of 18 holes Sunday.

Dowling said the course is “a lot of fun” to play, with generous fairways and scoring opportunities abound.

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That proved true Sunday, as the Gators combined for 14 birdies.

Junior Andrea Watts, playing No. 1 after her strong finish at TPC, had four of those birdies to help balance out a +2 round of 74.

Playing second this week, Jessica Yadloczky started fast. She shot a one-under on the front nine, but the senior fizzled slightly on the back to finish with a 75 (+3).

“I’m looking forward to the next two days,” Dowling said. “Depending on where they put the pins, I’m expecting to see some lower scores still.”

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