The University of Florida men’s golf team opened up play in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional Championship Thursday without freshman Alejandro Tosti.
Freshman Ryan Celano stepped into the vacant spot in the lineup and recorded his best round as a Gator replacing his teammate.
Celano and junior A.J. Crouch both shot 3-under par to lead the team to its season-best to-par round.
After Round 1, the Gators are holding onto second place at 7-under par.
Senior J.D. Tomlinson shot 2-under par for the Gators, while sophomore Ryan Orr shot 1-over par for the round and senior Eric Banks shot 5-over par.
The Gators return to action Friday at the UNC Finley Golf Course and will attempt to qualify for the NCAA Championship.
The five teams with the lowest scores and the individual with the lowest score from the other eight teams will advance to the championship.
“They played great, but all of these guys have been working really hard and dedicating their time and their lives to each other and to the team,” head coach JC Deacon said in a release. “I’m happy for them, but this isn’t the end. We have a lot to accomplish and a lot to play for, so it’s fun to be where we are right now, and we’re just going to keep working hard and doing all of the things we can control.”
Follow Ryan Summers on Twitter @RyanSummers18
UF's A.J. Crouch follows through on his backswing at the 2015 SunTrust Gator Invitational on Feb. 14, 2015 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
