UF’s women’s golf team wrapped up its weekend at the Mary Fossum Invitational in East Lansing, Michigan, with a third-place finish.
Florida entered the day in a tie for second with Georgia but fell to third on Sunday, three strokes behind second-place Michigan State and five strokes behind first-place Virginia.
The Gators did, however, place four golfers within the top 25.
Junior Sierra Brooks (+1) continued her ascent up the individual leaderboard after a slow start to her tournament on Friday. She moved up 11 spots with a 71 and finished in a tie for 11th.
The junior was upstaged by teammates Marta Perez and Clara Manzalini this weekend.
Perez (E) finished in a tie for sixth place after being consistent throughout the entire tournament. She scored a 73 on Sunday, her worst score of the tournament, but her position on the leaderboard did not change.
One of the golfers that Perez was tied with for sixth place was freshman Manzalini. Manzalini (E) was a big mover on the leaderboard for the Gators on Sunday, rising 10 places with her 71 on the day.
Sophomore Addie Baggarly started the tournament by hitting most any shot she wanted. She led with a 4-under but cooled off in her next two rounds. Her round on Sunday included a double bogey, a bogey and a birdie to end 3-over, which placed her in a tie for 17th.
Lauren Waidner’s tournament was seemingly over as soon as it began when she carded an 8-over with her first round. Waidner (+9) still salvaged her tournament over the next two days with a 72 and a 73. She finished in a tie for 33rd — the lowest on the team — but her 13-place improvement on Sunday was the team’s biggest jump.
This weekend should be a boost for Florida as it prepares for the Windy City Classic in Evanston, Illinois, from Oct. 1-2. The Gators are looking to build off a successful start to the year that has included a team win, an individual win by Brooks, and another finish in the top three.
Freshman Jenny Kim competed as an individual this weekend and finished in a tie for 55th place. She scored an 80 in her first round, like Waidner, but her two 75s on her last two rounds kept her tournament from becoming a total disaster.
You can follow Brendan Farrell on Twitter @Bfarrell727 or contact him at bfarrell1@alligator.org.
Junior Marta Perez (+1) is in eighth after two rounds at the Longhorn Invite. UF (+10) is currently in 10th.
