Over on the West Coast, late lead changes decided the fate of Florida’s women’s golf team.
The Gators came into Tuesday with momentum, leading Southern California by two strokes after Monday’s playthrough.
Senior Maria Torres and junior Taylor Tomlinson had provided the punch for Florida’s attack through the first two rounds, posting scores of 3 under (139) and 2 under (140), respectively.
But on Tuesday, in what amounted to a four-horse race among 15 teams competing at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, California, the Gators ultimately squandered their two-stroke lead, finishing in fourth.
“We hung in there for a good portion of the day,” coach Emily Glaser said in a release. “It was a disappointing way to finish.”
Midway through the third and deciding round Tuesday afternoon, Florida traded jabs with Duke, USC and Arizona State, swapping the lead several times throughout before finishing at eight over, four strokes behind tournament champion USC.
Tomlinson, a Gainesville native, gave the Gators some good news, tying for first among all golfers with Duke’s Leona Maguire and University of Nevada-Las Vegas’ Mackenzie Raim at 4 under for the tournament.
“I am really proud of Taylor,” Glaser said. “She was consistent and composed this week and deserves this win. I hope it continues to open her eyes to the caliber of player that she is.”
Senior Kelly Grassel also performed well after an admittedly disappointing opening performance in the Florida Challenge on Jan. 30, finishing fourth on the individual leaderboards at three under.
“I often tell myself to press the reset button,” Grassel said after her outing at the Florida Challenge.
Grassel posted a seven over at that 36-hole event while competing in team play, leading to her removal from the team’s lineup in favor of an individual outing this week.
Florida’s weakness was par-4 holes this week. UF shot 29-over par on them.
Par-5 holes, however, seemed to be no issue for the Gators, as the team shot a combined 9 under on those.
Florida also drained more eagles than anyone else in the field by two and finished tied for second in putts made for par.
“This group has had a lot of success,” Glaser said. “Although we took it on the chin today, I believe we will be better for it.”
Next weekend, the Gators will travel to New Orleans for the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championships where, in 2016, Florida edged out Oklahoma State by one stroke.
Contact Morgan McMullen at mmcmullen@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @morganmcmuffin.
Taylor Tomlinson putts during the 2015 SunTrust Gator Invitational at UF's Mark Bostick Golf Course.
