Thanks to bounce-back performances by senior T.J. Vogel and freshman A.J. Crouch, Florida is within eight strokes of second place after the second round of the Olympia Fields/Illini Invitational.
Florida shot a 286 (+6) to move into sixth place. UF’s second-round total was a nine-stroke improvement on the 295 (+15) the Gators carded in the first round.
Vogel and Crouch rebounded from their dismal first rounds to shoot even par. Vogel birdied a team-high four holes — including the final two holes of the day — to finish at 70 (E). The round was a six-stroke improvement from his Sunday total. Vogel is currently tied for 23rd after starting the second round of play in 46th.
After bogeying six holes during Sunday’s round of play, Crouch recovered to shoot even par en route to a 10-stroke improvement. Crouch notched three birdies in Round 2 after failing to birdie the previous day, when blustery conditions caused difficulties.
“The golf course was much easier today than it was yesterday,” coach Buddy Alexander said.
Despite the improved weather conditions, senior Tyler McCumber and sophomore J.D. Tomlinson were unable to build on the first-round success that propelled them into the top 10 of the individual leaderboards. McCumber shot a 70 (E) on Sunday, while Tomlinson notched a 72 (+2).
Both McCumber and Tomlinson carded a 73 (+3) in the second round. Tomlinson dropped nine spots to 18th, while McCumber is tied for ninth as he sits six strokes behind tournament leader Sebastian Cappelen (-3) of Arkansas.
Redshirt sophomore Santiago Gavino continued to struggle early, bogeying or double bogeying his initial six holes. The San Luis Potosi native collected three birdies to finish at 80 (+10).
“I believe we still have a good round in us and can move up the leaderboard,” Alexander said.
T.J. Vogel watches one of his drives during a tournament last spring. Vogel will begin competition at The Masters today.
