After a surprising first round that saw the Gators sit in first place in the NCAA Women’s Central Regional, the team fell back to Earth on Friday and sits tied for third at 13-over par (589).
Only one Gator – sophomore Anna Young – improved in the second round. Young also shot the best round for the Gators at three over (75). Young notched only one birdie shot par or better on all but four holes.
“We struggled today overall,” coach Emily Bastel said in a release. “It was a little different for each player, so we worked on some things individually after the round.”
Senior Mia Piccio had the next-best round, shooting four-over for the day (76) and placing tied for 10th. Piccio struggled on the back nine but shot four birdies on the front nine.
Outside of those two, there weren’t many highlights for the Gators. The last three starters all shot an identical 78 (+6) for the round.
Sophomore Camilla Hedberg, usually the most reliable starter on the team, was again unable to get anything going after her 74 (+2) in the first round. Hedberg birdied both 16 and 18 but had four bogeys and one double bogey on Holes 5 through 9, finishing with a 78 (+6)
Freshman Ursa Orehek had a career best 71 (-1) in the first round but was weighed down by a string of seven bogeys in 10 holes in the second round.
The most surprising round of the day may have been from junior Elcin Ulu, who sat just one stroke back of the lead after the first round. But after shooting a 78 on Friday, Ulu is tied for 16th.
Ulu would have had a much more manageable shot for the individual title if not for back-to-back double bogeys on holes eight and nine.
“We are disappointed in our day today, but, by no means hanging our heads as we have tomorrow ahead of us,” Bastel said in a release. “We will work hard to have a strong finish to the tournament and I know this team is very capable.”
The Gators have a slim chance of overcoming the 20-stroke lead of fourth-ranked Oklahoma. The Sooners lead, shooting seven under (569) after two days of the tournament. However, senior Mia Piccio is only eight strokes back of Oklahoma’s Emily Collins (-7).
Although a regional title may not be within reach, the top eight teams in each region automatically advance to the NCAA Championship. Florida sits just three strokes ahead of ninth-place Michigan State (-16).
The final day of competition is Saturday.
UF golfer Mia Piccio carries her bag at the Betsy Rawls Invitational on Nov. 2, 2011. Piccio carded a 73 (+1) in Florida's first round at the NCAA Championships on Tuesday at the UGA Golf Course.
