Led by star freshman Sam Horsfield, the No. 5 Florida men’s golf team holds a slim lead heading into the final round of its lone home tournament of the year.
The Gators enter Sunday’s final round at the Mark Bostick Golf Course at 10 under par through two rounds of the 39th-annual SunTrust Gator Invitational. No. 30 South Florida — last year’s winner — sits in second at 9 under par, and Jacksonville University is close behind at 8 under par.
The Gators, who haven’t won the event on their home turf since 2011, were led by the incredible play of Horsfield.
Horsfield’s opening-round — a career-best 7-under 63 — tied the lowest first-round score in tournament history and gave him an early lead.
The freshman’s hot start carried over into the second round, opening the day’s final 18 holes with three-straight birdies en route to a 2-under 68, giving him a two-shot lead over USF’s Rigel Fernandes and Jacksonville’s David Wicks, who are both tied for second at 7 under.
“I felt really confident going into today,” Horsfield said. “Getting off to a hot start was really, really huge for me. It kind of builds confidence early in the round, and you just kinda feed off that the whole, entire way.”
Redshirt junior A.J. Crouch, who initially had to qualify to earn the fifth and final spot in the Gators’ lineup, was also solid on the day, opening with rounds of 68 and 71 to place him in a tie for 12th at 1 under.
“He was a big contributor today,” head coach J.C. Deacon said of Crouch. “As an older guy on the team, we’re really gonna lean on him for leadership and to kind of carry us through.”
However, playing 36 holes in one day took a toll on the rest of the Gators’ lineup.
Freshman Jorge Garcia had putting troubles in both rounds, finishing the day in a tie for 18th with rounds of 70 and 71.
Sophomore Alejandro Tosti came out of the gate struggling en route to an opening-round, 3-over 73. However, he bounced back during the second round, shooting 4 under on the back nine to card a 68, leaving him in a tie for 18th, as well.
Junior Ryan Orr finished the day with scores of 71 and 72, leaving him in a tie for 32nd at plus 3.
“I think the golf course just got a little bit harder,” Deacon said. “It was a little windier in the second round, and the greens were a little bit firmer and crustier and maybe a little bit tougher to make some putts.
“I thought we hung in there really well. … All in all it was a great day.”
UF will look to lean on the hot play of Horsfield as the Gators search for their second win of the Spring season. A win Sunday would mean so much for the Gators as friends and family look on while the team tries to capture arguably the biggest victory of coach Deacon’s career.
“Just an opportunity to win on our home course, in our hometown, in front of our families — you can’t ask for anything better than that,” Deacon said. “I’m really excited for the guys.”
Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.
Sam Horsfield tees off on the ninth hole at UF's Mark Bostick Golf Course during the first round of the SunTrust Invitational on Feb. 20, 2016.
