Thanks to a strong second round, the Florida women’s golf team took home its third victory of the season on Sunday in Lecanto.
UF won the Florida Challenge against Florida State, Miami, UCF and USF.
Five of eight Gators posted better scores in the second round than they did in the first. Camilla Hedberg, the tournament’s eventual co-champion, improved from a 72 to a 71.
The women were led by senior Isabelle Lendl and sophomore Camilla Hedberg, who boast the second- and third-best stroke average in the nation, respectively.
Lendl averages a 70.67, and Hedberg averages a 70.75.
Lendl opened with an uncharacteristic round, shooting almost four strokes above her average. But she managed to pull her score down by three strokes in the second round.
Hedberg, with her victory, joined just 11 other players in UF history to win at least three tournaments.
Senior Mia Piccio finished in the top 10. After scoring a 75 in the first round, she lowered her score to a 73 in the second round and finished tied for eighth with Mary Beth Ramsay from Florida State.
Piccio shot 1.9 strokes above her average of 72.1 but was closer to her usual form in the second round.
"We’re taking it one tournament at a time," Piccio said in November.
"I think it’s very important to stay the process rather than looking ahead. We just got to keep working hard at practice, working hard when we’re playing, fighting though our rounds when we’re not playing that great, because that’s how we get better. Just keep on playing. I think that’s it when playing golf: The more you play, the more you improve and get better on the course."
Emma Smyser was one of the Gators who improved between rounds, and her jump was the largest.
Playing in her first collegiate tournament, she shot a 75 in the second round — seven strokes better than her first-round score of 82.
Smyser’s role on in Florida’s lineup will grow as the season progresses and expand even more when three seniors leave at the end of this season.
Junior Elcin Ulu was one of three Gators who performed worse in the second round than the first.
Florida may have been in line for an even greater victory had Ulu, who transferred from Redlands Community College in Oklahoma, not followed up a tournament-low 69 in the first round with a 77 in the second.
The Gators have two more tournaments on the road, at the Northrup Grumman Regional Championship in Palos Verdes, Calif., and the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, before they return home to Gainesville to host and compete in the SunTrust Gator Invitational on March 15-17.
Senior Isabelle Lendl chips a shot onto the green. Lendl finished tied for 32nd at the Bryan National Collegiate this weekend.
