Ever since T.J. Vogel transferred to Florida, his game has slowly returned to form.
Through four rounds of tournament play, the junior transfer from Southern California has led Florida in stroke average (71.5), birdies (12) and top-20 finishes (two).
Vogel shot a 1-under 70 at the rain-shortened Inverness Intercollegiate, and finished tied for second individually.
“It’s on paper, it’s second, it’s just one round,” Vogel said. “But it gave me confidence that I played well on that golf course. I’m starting to see myself back in the top five, which is where I should be and where I want to be. I still have some work to do.”
Success is not new to Vogel. As a freshman, he led the Trojans with a 72.12 stroke average and earned numerous honors including Pac-10 Co-Freshman of the Year.
But in his sophomore season, his play dipped and he finished third on the team in stroke average (73.42).
“I had great chemistry with the [USC] team. I loved the atmosphere out there and loved California, but I just knew my golf game progressively got a little worse,” Vogel said. “I lost some confidence, so I knew I needed to do something, and I felt like [transferring to Florida] was the right move.”
Vogel, a Cooper City native, said he wanted to return home to work on his game with his father, who “knows [his] game better than anyone.”
The transfer also said coach Buddy Alexander’s experience and intelligence were factors in his decision to play for the Gators.
“I knew transferring here was going to do good things for my golf, because Buddy’s the best in the business,” Vogel said. “He’s helped me tremendously already, and he’s really smart and patient. He’s not going to get on you too much for a mistake because he’s been there.”
Vogel and the Gators, who have not played since Sept. 27, still have more than a week until taking part in the Kiawah Invitational in Kiawah Island, S.C. beginning Oct. 17. Vogel has been practicing his short game to prepare for the par-72, 7,356-yard Ocean Course, which played host to the 1991 Ryder Cup and is the scheduled site of the 2012 PGA Championship.
“I’m just working on the things that have hindered me the last few tournaments,” he said. “I’m hitting the ball well, but I’m just working on my chipping and putting right now.
“It’s a great venue, and it’s really tough, but those are the courses where I normally step up and play my best.”
