After a seven-year drought, the Florida men’s golf team captured the Southeastern Conference Championship tournament Sunday.
The No. 5 Gators’ 8-over-par score for the event was enough to beat No. 3 Alabama.
An already memorable day for Florida was made unforgettable by fifth-year senior Andres Echavarria winning the individual title in a dramatic, sudden-death playoff against LSU’s John Peterson.
“I can’t put my emotions into words right now,” Echavarria said. “I’ve been through tough times as a Gator, and this win is the product of five years of hard work and preparation.”
Florida was able to maintain the six-stroke lead it held going into Sunday’s final round on the strength of 1-under-par rounds by Echavarria and Bank Vongvanij. The Gators were also aided by an even-par performance from sophomore Phillip Choi and a 3-over-par showing by Tommy Mou.
Vongvanij got off to a hot start Sunday, at one point notching four consecutive birdies on the front nine to lower his score to 3-under-par for the round. That put him in contention for the individual title, but two bogeys on the back nine ended his chances.
Vongvanij and Choi finished in the top five, with Choi tying for third at even-par and Vongvanij coming in fifth with a 1-over-par tally.
“I was a little nervous in that we kind of blew a six-shot lead at the Schenkel (Invitational) about a month ago, and we hadn’t won in a while,” UF coach Buddy Alexander said. “We just felt like it was our turn to win if we played like we played all year.”
The win is Florida’s 15th SEC golf title and the university’s 200th SEC Championship overall.
“We really have prepared well as a team all year,” Echavarria said. “Winning this tournament was one of our goals at the beginning of the year, and it feels good to actually win it.”
The team now has a long layoff before teeing off at NCAA Regionals in nearby Ocala on May 19-21.
The Florida women’s team’s struggles in the SEC Championship tournament continued Sunday, as UF shot 8-over-par to finish ninth.
The Gators’ woes overshadowed an impressive round by sophomore Mia Piccio, who rebounded from a 9-over-par nightmare on Saturday to shoot a 3-under-par 69. Piccio tallied five birdies on the back nine to finish the round under par.
