Florida started its spring season with a disappointing performance after the men finished in fourth place on their home course.
The Gators, playing in their only home tournament of the season at Mark Bostick Golf Course, started strong and led after the first round of the SunTrust Gator Invitational.
But Florida saw its lead slowly slip away in the second round against Florida State.
"We didn’t have anything this week," coach Buddy Alexander said.
"We didn’t play well, we didn’t think well, we didn’t putt well. We didn’t play smart, and it was pretty disappointing."
T.J. Vogel and Tyler McCumber, the Gators top two starters, struggled throughout the tournament.
The seniors couldn’t find their groove.
Vogel, who is still recovering from hernia surgery he underwent in December, shot an uncharacteristic tournament total of 216 (+6).
McCumber also finished over par with a 213 (+3) after battling flu-like symptoms all weekend.
Vogel and McCumber finished tied for 25th and tied for 17th, respectively.
The results may have been worse for the Gators if not for their depth with the play of Santiago Gavino and J.D. Tomlinson.
Gavino appeared in just two tournaments in the fall and averages a 75, but he shot a team-best 67 in the final round to tie for 12th.
Tomlinson, a sophomore who has four top-10 finishes in his career, posted rounds of 69, 72 and 72 to finish 3 over par for the weekend tournament.
"Today I started off not too good," Gavino said.
"I was three over through six, and then I birdied seven and came back on the back end and shot 5 under, so that was pretty big. ... I made some bad mistakes, but I’ve got to learn from them.
"Overall, my game is pretty good right now. I’ve got to work on it, and I should be good for the next tournament."
Still, the biggest surprise of the tournament was not only the play of Eric Banks, but that Banks was playing at all.
Coach Alexander expressed doubt that the sophomore would play at all this season after undergoing open-heart surgery last summer.
Banks proved that he has not only recovered but ready to get back to his starting role with the team. Banks competed as an individual, but had the best weekend of any Gator.
He finished tied for 10th with a tournament total of 211 (+1).
However, no effort from the Gators could surpass the Seminoles.
Florida State placed three players in the top 10, including the individual winner, Daniel Berger, who shot 203 (-7).
The Seminoles were the lone team to finish under par (-8). North Florida placed second with a score of 7 over par, while South Alabama finished third at 10 over par — one shot better than Florida.
"[Florida] has such a great golf team, and their coaches are phenomenal," FSU coach Trey Jones said.
"To come in here and beat them, you know you’re going to have to play exceptional. We made a few putts this week and played well, but we knew going in the odds were not in our favor with the type of program they have and how they’re playing at this event."
Senior T.J. Vogel eyes his shot during the SunTrust Gator Invitational at Mark Bostick Golf Course on Sunday. Vogel is back with the Gators after competing in The Masters.
