The Gators women’s golf team struggled in the first round of the Bryan National Collegiate after finishing tied for 12th place after the first round.
Florida has a tough road to climb back to the top considering that the team sits 23 strokes back of current leader Virginia (-7).
The Gators are coming off a disappointing collapse in their home tournament, the SunTrust Gator Invitational, which saw the team blow a three-stroke lead in the final round.
The Bryan National Collegiate is the final regular season tournament for Florida before the team competes in the Southeastern Championships on April 19 – 21.
Sophomore Camilla Hedberg leads the Gators after shooting +3 (75) in the first round. Hedberg already has three individual titles on the season, and a win in the National Collegiate would cap off one of the greatest seasons in Florida golf history.
It was all downhill for Florida after Hedberg. Junior Elcin Ulu and freshman Ursa Orehek both shot a +4 (76) to put them in a tie for 45th.
Ulu is coming off arguably her best performance in her Gator career at the SunTrust Gator Invitational. Orehek is playing in just her second tournament since January after an injury.
The two seniors competing in their last regular season tournament, Mia Piccio and Isabelle Lendl, both were unable to put themselves in position for a victory.
Piccio came in at tied for 56th after shooting +5 (77). Lendl fared even worse after shooting nine over par (81) and finishing in 84th place after the first round.
The tournament, which is held in Greensboro N.C., will run until Sunday.
UF golfer Mia Piccio carries her bag at the Betsy Rawls Invitational on Nov. 2, 2011. Piccio carded a 73 (+1) in Florida's first round at the NCAA Championships on Tuesday at the UGA Golf Course.
