Consistency has been the cornerstone of the Florida men’s golf team’s success this season.
Although the trait wasn’t apparent in the Gators’ play in this week’s John Hayt Invitational, it was the steadiness of Phillip Choi that helped him bring home the individual title Tuesday.
The sophomore’s first collegiate win was a memorable moment in an otherwise-forgettable three rounds of golf for the Gators in Ponte Vedra Beach. No. 4 Florida finished tied for sixth with a 21-over-par score, 19 strokes behind first-place Arkansas.
Choi’s 7-under-par final score earned him a three-stroke victory, besting Auburn’s Blayne Barber and Arkansas’ Sebastian Cappelen. Choi’s 2-under 70 in the final round also made him the only player in the 85-player field to shoot under par in all three rounds.
Those types of rounds have become common for Choi, who was a playoff away from taking home the individual crown at the Gator Invitational on Feb. 13.
“I give him a lot of credit,” coach Buddy Alexander said. “He’s playing with a lot of confidence and is evolving into quite a player.”
But the rest of the Gators struggled, as the team finished outside the top three for the first time this season.
Bank Vongvanij rebounded from a tough round Monday to shoot an even-par 72. Michael Furci also improved from the first two days with an even-par 72. Tyler McCumber’s struggles continued, however, as he shot a 9-over-par 81.
Meanwhile, the Florida women’s golf team improved its play Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to help the Gators climb the leaderboard. They finished the tournament in 12th place.
The highlight of the day for Florida was senior captain Jessica Yadloczky’s return to form.
After struggling mightily in the fall and the first event of the spring, Yadloczky was moved down to the fifth spot in the lineup by coach Jan Dowling. But she served notice Tuesday that she might be ready to play like she did her freshman and sophomore years, when she was a first-team all-Southeastern Conference performer.
“Things really came together for her today,” Dowling said. “This will be a great confidence booster for her.”
Sophomore Mia Piccio joined Yadloczky in the red figures, shooting a 2-under-par 70 on Tuesday to finish the tournament tied for 11th.
After disappointing finishes, both UF squads will be anxious to return to the course. The women will do so at the Gator Invitational in Gainesville on March 6, and the men will move on to the Bandon Dunes invitational in Bandon, Ore., on March 11.
