Florida’s season opener at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational was a struggle.
After battling course conditions during the first round, the Gators fell to 15th place and never recovered.
UF finished the tournament with a 905 (+15) to finish 14th in the field. No. 1 Alabama (+9) won the tournament.
Coach Buddy Alexander said the course was difficult and the team’s nerves showed on the scoreboard. He added that with a young team, he expects better results as the season progresses.
Junior J.D. Tomlinson paced Florida after one round by shooting a 75 (+5). Tomlinson finished the tournament by shooting an even-par final round to end at 11-over, which led the Gators and was tied for 29th overall.
“(Tomlinson) stepped up and played a really good round,” Alexander said in a release. “He played well in the green and hit quite a few good shots.”
After shooting 8-over in the first round, freshman Victor Tarnstrom recovered to finish with a pair of 4-over rounds. Tarnstrom (+16) finished 50th overall and second on Florida.
UF will now turn its attention to its next tournament, the Shoal Creek Intercollegiate, which begins Sept. 30 in Birmingham, Ala.
“We learned from this experience,” Alexander said. “It’s allowed us to see where we are and where we need to be.”
Follow Lawrence Laguna on Twitter @LagunaLawrence.
