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Wednesday, April 24, 2024
<p>Alejandro Tosti tees off during the 2016 SunTrust Gator Invitational at the Mark Bostick golf course.</p>

Alejandro Tosti tees off during the 2016 SunTrust Gator Invitational at the Mark Bostick golf course.

This one was never in doubt.

The No. 6-ranked Florida men's golf team finished the first round of the Tavistock Invitational on Sunday in first place and never ceded control, ending the three-day tournament with an 11-stroke win on Tuesday.

UF's 20-under-par performance was a season-best and the lowest score in J.C. Deacon's three years as Florida's coach.

"All five of our guys contributed in their own way this week, and the belief we have as a group is amazing," Deacon said in a release.

"This group really believes we can achieve some amazing things if we focus on what we're doing and what we can control."

Junior Alejandro Tosti out-shot the field with an 8-under-par performance in just the second first-place finish of his collegiate career.

Tosti carded a team best 16 birdies over the course of three rounds and nailed the only eagle for the Gators on a par-4 8th hole in the second round.

"(He) was huge for us," Deacon said.

"(He) played well from the start and carried it through the whole round."

While Tosti took center stage for Florida, a strong supporting cast helped the Gators finish with an 11-stroke lead over second place and No. 5-ranked Vanderbilt.

Sophomore Jorge Garcia finished in a tie for seventh, where he shot 5 under par with 13 birdies and eight bogeys.

After struggling in his last two tournaments, sophomore Sam Horsfield logged a solid score for the Gators, tallying nine birdies and six bogeys, good for 10th place at 3 under par.

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Freshman Andy Zhang, competing in his second tournament of the Fall, shot even par, good for a tie for 14th with 13 birdies, 11 bogeys and a double bogey.

And sophomore Gordon Neale finished at 5 over par in a tie for 30th.

He carded nine birdies and 14 bogeys.

"We needed to finish the tournament off and play the final round, and I think we made a pretty big statement today," Deacon said.

"There's no better way to go into the offseason than to put a big 'W' on the board."

Contact Jake Dreilinger at jdreilinger@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @DreilingerJake.

Alejandro Tosti tees off during the 2016 SunTrust Gator Invitational at the Mark Bostick golf course.

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