THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass hosted the Sea Best Invitational Monday where the University of Florida men’s golf team opened their spring schedule looking for their second win of the season.
The challenging course, with its infamous par-3 island green, proved to be a difficult test for a majority of the field. The Gators, despite a rocky start, were able to finish out the day at the top of the leader board.
“We had a pretty mediocre morning but followed it up with a very good afternoon,” said head coach Buddy Alexander.
After posting a first round total of 303, UF began the second round in third place, only two strokes away from first. The Gators improved their performance in the second round, allowing them to move into first place with a two round total of 587, putting the team 11 strokes ahead of the rest of the field.
“We were far from perfect, and still have a lot to improve on, but today put us in a good spot.” Alexander said.
Florida’s T.J. Vogel and Tyler McCumber both broke par in the second round to help UF take over the lead from North Florida and Liberty who were tied for first.
Vogel, a junior, was able to remain consistent throughout both rounds shooting 73 (+1) and 69 (-3). As a result, he leads the tournament by a stroke.
“T.J. played really solid all day,” Alexander said. “Like our team, he’s put himself in a good position heading into the final round but still has a lot of work left to do.”
Freshman Eric Banks along with senior Michael Furci both had average rounds, finishing just out of the top 10.
McCumber struggled throughout the first round with three double-bogeys, seven bogeys and only two birdies resulting in an 83 (+11) first round score. He was able to recover in the second round with six birdies and three bogeys for a 69 (-3).
“It was an uncharacteristic morning round for Tyler, but I’m really proud of how he bounced back in the afternoon,” Alexander said.
As the tournament wraps up on Tuesday, the Gators will be looking to secure their second win of the season.
“There’s obviously a lot of golf left to be played so we’ll have to come out and play strong tomorrow,” Alexander said.
