A sixth-place finish in February’s John Hayt Invitational and a third-place showing at the Bandon Dunes Championship have left the Florida men’s golf team searching for answers.
The Gators are looking to rediscover the form that helped them start their spring campaign with three consecutive tournament titles.
They will have that chance at this weekend’s Schenkel Invitational, in Statesboro, Ga.
No. 5 Florida will be looking to end a six year drought at an event that is a cornerstone of the team's schedule, with their last win coming in 2004.
The event has been dubbed by GolfWorld as the “Collegiate Championship of the East” and features a strong field that includes top-25 foes Auburn (No. 9), LSU (No. 12), Virginia (No. 19) and North Carolina State (No. 20).
The Schenkel Invitational is named after legendary sports broadcaster Chris Schenkel, who is known as one of the most memorable voices in The Masters’ long and storied history, as well as for his work calling the Olympics and college football.
One key for Florida will be the play of Bank Vongvanij, who will be looking to rebound from a 5-over-par 77 in last Saturday’s Bandon Dunes Championship final round.
The senior began his spring season by bringing home an individual title at the JU Invitational. Despite a few top-10 finishes since then, however, he has seen his play deteriorate recently.
While Vongvanij has played below expectations, the same cannot be said of sophomore Phillip Choi, who won the John Hayt Invitational and tied for sixth at Bandon Dunes.
UF coach Buddy Alexander was disappointed by his team’s effort in Oregon.
“The conditions were bad,” he said. “But when the conditions are like this, it is more about heart than it is about golf.”
The Gators will have a chance to show their heart in the course of the three-day event, looking to return to their winning ways after their recent struggles.
