Against a field loaded with top-ranked teams Friday, the Gators only managed to finish in the middle of the pack.
After entering the Holston Hills Country Club on a month’s rest, No. 16 UF scored a 298 (+10) in its first round of the SEC/PAC-12 Challenge in Knoxville, Tenn., landing in a tie for ninth-place with Southern California.
“We just need to continue to stay patient and let things happen,” coach Jan Dowling said. “Some pretty good things happened [Friday].”
Florida trails tournament-leader UCLA by 17 shots. Alabama finished the day in second 4-under, while Tennessee sits at third 3-over.
Following two stellar performances in UF’s first two events, freshman Camilla Hedberg continued her hot streak, firing three birdies against only two bogeys. Hedberg (-1) finished her day tied for ninth with five other golfers and three shots behind Alabama’s Stephanie Meadow and Vanderbilt’s Lauren Stratton.
“Camilla getting under par on this golf course is great,” Dowling said. “She walked away kind of disappointed to be honest with you. She had a ton of 10 and 15 footers for birdies, but she felt like she could have had lots more. She’s hoping to hit it the same and make some more putts [today].”
After double bogeying her first hole, junior Mia Piccio rebounded to card a 1-over 73. Piccio sits tied for 23rd individually.
“Mia played solid too,” Dowling said. “After a start like that, it proves she was able to stay patient and not get ahead of herself. She really did a great job of keeping her score very respectable. That’s what I’m looking for from our upperclassmen.”
Except for Hedberg and Piccio, the Gators struggled to post low scores on the par-72, 6,447-yard Holston Hills Country Club. Junior Isabelle Lendl and senior Andrea Watts each went 5-over after combining for 10 bogeys and not tallying a single birdie.
Senior Evan Jensen finished 8-over after making two double bogeys on her back nine.
“I think a lot of them wondered how they shot the scores they did,” Dowling said of the upperclassmen. “We’re definitely capable of a lot better. The good thing is they’re not very satisfied with it, so they’re ready to go [today]. I know that.”
