For much of the Therese Hession Regional Challenge, No. 6 Florida was putting up average numbers. They were in last place for the first half of Round 1 until teams such as Miami and California had bogey trouble.
However, in Round 2, there was a glimmer of hope that UF would emerge as champions.
The Gators posted a tournament-best -2 in Round 2, which placed them second only behind UCLA. Despite that, they could not continue their momentum, as they shot six-over-par in the final round, ending the tournament with a 864 (+12).
Ultimately, the Gators placed fourth, which ended their three-tournament winning streak dating back to the fall. They finished 20 points back of first-place UCLA, who had an explosive Round 3, going -6.
The lineup consisted of Siuue Wu, Paula Francisco, Katelyn Huber, Inès Archer and Megan Propeck. Meanwhile, Addison Klonowski participated in individual play.
UF went +8 in Round 1, with all five starters over par. Paula Francisco had five single bogeys and one double bogey, ending the round with a 76 (+5).
Wu led the way for Florida and was the only player to finish under par. She finished tied for sixth in the entire tournament with a 212 (-1). The sophomore combined nine birdies throughout the last two rounds. She maintained her solid score, despite having a triple bogey in Round 3.
Coming off a career-defining Sea Best Intercollegiate, Francisco struggled in Round 1. She bounced back in Round 2, shooting three-under-par, which placed her in a four-way tie for the best second round.
Propeck had her worst tournament of the season thus far. Despite having a 73 (+2) in Round 1 with four birdies, the next round proved to be a struggle. She had two single bogeys, a double bogey and a triple bogey, which put her at 6-over-par for Round 2.
Round 3 wasn’t much better. She had three single bogeys and two double bogeys, ending the tournament with a 226 (+13).
Klonowski had a rough start in Round 1 of individual play, going 6-over-par, but went even in the final two rounds. The sophomore had six birdies in Round 2.
The Gators travel to Melbourne, Florida, for the Moon Golf Invitational on Feb. 15, with the time still to be determined. The tournament will be held at the Suntree Country Club and hosted by Louisville.
Contact Colby Kistner at ckistner@alligator.org. Follow him on X @colbykistner22.
Colby is a junior sports journalism student in his first semester with the Alligator covering golf. He has experience covering Buchholz and Santa Fe High School sports. He also worked in UF's innovation center where he wrote and created radio content for WRUF. He is an avid hockey fan with his teams being the Seattle Kraken and Florida Panthers. He is looking to minor in business administration.
