Known for its fast greens, the Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto provided a challenging test for Florida in its first tournament of 2013. But the Florida Challenge gave the Gators their third team title in the 2012-13 season.
The Gators finished with four players in the top 10 to win the one-day 36-hole tournament with a score of 586. Camilla Hedberg continued her successful season by carding a two-round total of 143 to tie for first with UCF’s Monifa Sealy.
“This is a great way to start the spring season,” coach Emily Bastel said in a release. “We can take a lot of positives away from [Monday].”
A new face helped the Gators win the Florida Challenge title.
Elcin Ulu, a transfer student from Redlands Community College in Oklahoma, shot a 69 and 77. Ulu led after the first round, but she finished tied for third with Florida State’s Alex Milan.
“We had some highlights individually,” Bastel said in a release.
“Elcin had a career-low 69 in the first round, which should be a tremendous confidence booster for her.”
Seniors Mia Piccio and Isabelle Lendl also turned in strong rounds to finish tied for eight and 10th, respectively.
Piccio shot rounds of 75 and 73, while Lendl continued the most dominant season of her career.
Lendl finished in the top 10 for the fifth straight time with rounds of 76 and 73.
Other Gators making appearances at the Florida Challenge were senior Megan Pak, sophomore Anna Young, and freshmen Emma Smyser and Ursa Orehek.
Young had the second-highest finish of her career after rounds of 74 and 81. She tied for 18th with teammate Orehek who shot a 78 and 77.
Pak and Smyser both competed as individuals and finished with a 162 and 157, respectively.
“Black Diamond is an awesome venue and it was great to compete on such a great golf course,” Bastel said in a release.
“We will use what we did today to work on some more specific things before we head to California (to play in the Northrup Grumman Regional Championship).”
