The No. 14 Gators earned their third consecutive win, pulling ahead of Arkansas and Vanderbilt.
The Ally tournament was hosted by the Mississippi State Bulldogs in West Point, Mississippi. Florida led or shared the lead all three days of the tournament.
The Gator’s veteran lineup featured three golfers from last year’s victorious outing. Sophomore Elain Widjaja and Addison Klonowski, along with junior Paula Franicsco, added experience to the team, helping Florida secure another win at its fall finale.
A thunderstorm delayed tee times for the second round, but Florida recorded a 9-under team score. The Gators earned the solo lead, one stroke ahead of Arkansas.
Widjaja led Florida through the three-day tournament, ending the first round tied for first place. Her 4-under round gave the Gators the push they needed to tie for the lead heading into the second round.
During the final round, Widjaja overcame a series of bogies to maintain a final score under par and a 13th place finish. All four counting scores for Florida were below par, giving the Gators a final score of 26-under.
Klonowski finished three strokes behind the winner, Arkansas junior Abbey Schutte. Her consistency throughout the tournament made her Florida’s top finisher at 6-under, tying for third place.
Freshmen Katelyn Huber and Megan Propeck finished the tournament tied for eighth place alongside Francisco. Following her maiden collegiate win at the Oklahoma University Collegiate, Propeck looked to continue her momentum.
After recording a 1-over opening round, she bounced back with two subpar scores, bringing her to finish 4-under. In her fall debut, she ended with the team low average score at 71.3.
Francisco struggled early at The Ally, but her final round pushed the Gators over the top to clinch the win. Despite carding a 3-over on Tuesday, she countered with a bogey-free final round.
Florida’s fall season included two tournament wins and Propeck’s individual win. The Gators return in January to defend another title from last year at the Sea Best Intercollegiate. The two-day tournament at San Jose Country Club in Jacksonville begins Jan. 26.
Contact Brooke Bastedo at bbastedo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @BrookeBastedo.
Brooke is entering her third semester as The Alligator's golf reporter. She is a sophomore sports journalism student with a passion for international sports. She enjoys trying as many new hobbies as possible, spending time with friends and watching Detroit sports (Go Lions!).
