After a disappointing first round, Florida saw its outlook grow worse in the second round of the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational in Ponte Vedra.
The Gators improved from a sixth-place tie to a fourth-place tie, but Florida now trails leader UNF by 28 strokes after dropping 12 strokes on Monday.
“Given the conditions today, we played better than we did yesterday,” coach Buddy Alexander said in a release. “We got off to a rough start but made a pretty good comeback.”
Every UF starter struggled to shoot below par. Each shot a minimum three-stroke difference from the first round to the second.
J.D. Tomlinson currently leads Florida after shooting a 70 (-2) in the second round and is currently tied for ninth. Tomlinson has been the Gators’ most consistent player but still trails Ospreys junior Kevin Phelan by 12 strokes (-13).
Phelan leads the tournament through two rounds.
T.J. Vogel, UF’s usual No. 1, has struggled since undergoing sports hernia surgery. Vogel shot six shots worse in the second round (75) than he did in the first (69) and is tied for 12th.
Tyler McCumber has also played below his usual standards. He is tied for 31st after shooting a 76 (+4) in the second round. McCumber, like Vogel, played worse in the second round, shooting four strokes higher than his first round 72.
Despite a disappointing day, Florida’s two back end starters, Eric Banks and Santiago Gavino, improved. Banks bettered his first-round score of 78 by four strokes (74) to go two over par and jump 14 spots into a tie for 55th.
Gavino virtually shot himself out of contention with an 82 (+10) in the first round but managed to bring his score down to a 79 (+7) in the second.
Florida’s other participant was freshman A.J. Crouch, who also experienced a disappointing second round.
He dropped five strokes from a 71 (-1) in the first round to a 76 (+4) in the second round.
Florida will wrap up the tournament today in the championship round.
The UF women’s team return to action in the Allstate Sugar Bowl after play was canceled Tuesday due to weather.
The tournament has been shortened to two rounds with the championship round being played today.
Gators coach Buddy Alexander announced Tuesday that he will retire after the season ends.
