For the last 11 years the UF men’s golf team has made it to the NCAA Championships, and today they will mark their 12th consecutive appearance. Although the Gators finished runner-up at the NCAA East Regional, they are trying to stay focused to avoid getting distracted by the idea of winning the title.
“Well I think anybody that’s going has to expect just to play as well as they can,” freshman J.D. Tomlinson said. “You can’t expect to win, but that’s the goal for everybody in the tournament.”
Last season Florida finished first in both the Southeastern Conference Championship and the NCAA Regionals. However, they fell apart in the NCAA Championships finishing 23rd. But at this year’s championship in Pacific Palisades, Calif., Florida will be fielding three new players.
Included in that group of first-year Gators is junior T.J. Vogel, who transferred to Florida from USC last summer. According to Tomlinson, the team will be looking to Vogel for advice due to his prior experience on the course.
“I know where to miss, which is huge out there,” Vogel said. “The greens are going to be very fast and firm, so I know the correct spots on the greens where to miss. I know how certain putts break, and I just know where to be on that golf course because it’s very difficult.”
The Gators will play in three straight rounds, and then will advance to match play if they are one of the top-eight teams. Florida has had six top-three finishes in the last eight tournaments including two wins.
Coach Buddy Alexander hopes that the team’s constant improvement throughout the season will help them make it to the final day of play.
“We knew this was going to be a rebuilding year for us. We lost some great players, a first, second and third team All-American and replaced them with freshmen essentially,” Alexander said. “But they’ve done a nice job, they’ve gotten a lot better and I’m proud of that.”
