This weekend's Match Play in Orlando not only ends the fall season, but for the UF women's golf team it will be the last tournament the team plays until Feb. 9. So this weekend will be something to dwell on for the next couple of months.
Coach Jill Briles-Hinton said even though this is the last tournament, it's just another tournament.
"The girls aren't going to stop practicing," she said. "Just because this is their last event doesn't mean they're not going to still be out there. They know if they take time off - too much time off - they won't play well next spring."
Since it is the last tournament until after Groundhog Day, it'll be nice over winter to revert back to a solid performance at the Match Play.
In The Landfall in Wilmington, N.C., a week ago, the Gators were led in the beginning by freshmen. By the time Sunday rolled around, freshmen Andrea Watts and Evan Jensen had started to cool down, but sophomores Jessica Yadloczky and Hannah Yun rebounded from earlier play to keep UF in the thick of things and help the Gators finish fifth.
Briles-Hinton said the only way to jump the youth hurdle is to keep playing and boosting experience.
At least the Gators won't have to rack up as many miles on their way to their next tournament. With destination spots this year in Maryland, Tennessee and North Carolina, a tournament in backyard Orlando should come as a respite for the team.
Briles-Hinton said the lack of mileage won't facilitate the tournament.
"It's going to be exhausting," she said.
