After playing its worst round of the season, the Florida men’s golf team rebounded Monday at the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational.
The No. 3 Gators shot the low round of the day to jump seven positions from 12th into a tie for fifth.
UF improved its score from the opening round by 15 shots, carding a 2-over 290 for a combined score of 595 (305-290, +19) on Monday.
“What a difference a day makes,” coach Buddy Alexander said. “Today we did a lot of positive things. I am happy with the way we played today.”
A familiar face was once again at the top of the Gators’ leaderboard as senior Bank Vongvanij made four birdies en route to a 2-under 70.
Three of the birdies came in crunch time to help Vongvanij catapult back into the individual top 10 after a 2-under, back-nine score of 34.
The senior is tied for sixth at even par after finishing in 22nd following a first round in which he shot 2-over.
Alexander vented frustrations following Sunday’s round, saying “someone has to step up” after a poor showing landed the Gators near the bottom of the field.
If UF’s performance in the second round is any indication, the team took notice.
Sophomore Phillip Choi fired an even-par round of 72 on Monday, bettering his opening-round score by six strokes.
Choi bogeyed his first hole, the par-4 10th, and the par-3 15th but countered with birdies at both par-5s on the outward nine.
The rest was smooth sailing for Choi, who made nine straight pars coming in. His two-day total of 150 (+6) placed him in a tie for 29th.
Stringing together consecutive over-par rounds is something sophomore standout Tyler McCumber hadn’t done all year. That changed Monday when McCumber carded a 1-over 73 to accompany his opening round of 76 (+4).
He entered the tournament as the No. 5 golfer in the country but is in a tie for 21st at Isleworth at 149 (+5).
Sophomore Tommy Mou had two birdies and five bogeys in his round of 3-over 75, two shots better than Sunday’s total.
Junior transfer Michael Furci, playing in his second tournament as a Gator, birdied two of his first eight holes before making a triple bogey on the 18th.
Furci had three more bogeys on the second nine to shoot a 4-over 76.
The Gators trail current leader Alabama (+7) by 12 shots heading into Tuesday’s final round. Fellow Southeastern Conference rival LSU is in second place.
