For most of the Gators Invitational, No. 7 Florida was ahead of its competitors.
Despite the Gators setting a program-low score of 271 (-9) in Round 1, Virginia was knocking on the door, just two strokes behind.
But the gap between the two teams widened as the Cavaliers hit bogey trouble in Round 2. In that round, Virginia accumulated a +4 and finished the tournament 18 strokes behind the Gators.
Ultimately, Florida won its 10th Gators Invitational in 11 seasons and finished with a score of 820 (-20).
The team lineup consisted of Megan Propeck. Paula Francisco, Siuue Wu, Katelyn Huber and Addison Klonowski. Meanwhile, Ines Archer, Elaine Widjaja and Sophie Stevens participated in individual play.
Francisco won her first collegiate tournament and set a Gators Invitational record with a score of 200 (-10). The sophomore emerged in Round 2, going 5-under-par with six birdies, with four of them coming in the first eight holes. She only had four single bogeys throughout the entire Gators Invitational.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re playing in your home course or one you don’t know,” Francisco said. “You just have to realize that each round is a different round.”
Florida head coach Emily Glaser was impressed with Francisco’s mental fortitude.
“You have to be okay with not winning, to put yourself in a position to win, and I think that’s what she did today,” Glaser said. “We talked prior about how grateful we are for the experience of going through this at this point in the season.”
Wu followed close behind with a score of 205 (-5) and tied for second in the tournament. The sophomore set her own record with a career-low of 65 (-5) in Round 1 and also had six birdies in that round and five combined in the final two.
Even though Propeck had a triple bogey in Round 1 and only one birdie in Round 2, she bounced back in the final round and went 3-under-par. The graduate student ended with a 208 (-2).
Huber finished with a score of 211 (+1). The freshman and Gainesville native got off to an explosive start in Round 1, accumulating four birdies in the first seven holes. However, she slowed down as she hit a double bogey in Round 2 and finished 3-over-par in Round 3.
After going over par in the first two rounds, Klonowski went -1 in Round 3 and finished with a 212 (+2).
Widjaja was the best performer in individual play, accumulating a 207 (-3). The sophomore’s score was seven strokes better than Virginia’s Kennedy Swedick.
“We have Elaine, who played really well,” Glaser said. “I just think it’s a neat thing for us that we know we have that depth.”
The Gators travel to South Carolina for the Clemson Invitational on March 27, with a start time still to be determined. The tournament will be held at The Reserve at Lake Keowee, South Carolina, and will be hosted by Clemson.
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.
