The Florida men’s golf team will tee off postseason play today when it competes in the Baton Rouge Regional of the 2013 NCAA tournament.
The regional will pit the Gators against some familiar foes. Of the 22 teams invited to Baton Rouge, five other squads are from the Southeastern Conference. However, coach Buddy Alexander does not think familiarity will be a factor in the tournament.
“It doesn’t matter that you’re familiar with some SEC foes,” Alexander said. “That’s the nature of golf, you kind of focus on what you’re doing instead of what your opponent’s doing.”
Florida will compete against several ranked SEC teams, including No. 2 Alabama, No. 17 LSU and No. 24 Mississippi State. Each of the Gators’ five golfers will play with a member of the Crimson Tide in their first-round groupings, as well as a member of the Tigers, who are playing on their home course.
“I think we’re ready to play,” Alexander said. “We haven’t played in a while, and last time we played we didn’t play particularly well. I think there’s been a little more intensity in the effort they’ve put into it.”
The intensity and effort will be needed to correct some of the issues that led to Florida shooting a combined 40 over par for a 10th-place finish at the SEC tournament on April 21. Another problem is the team’s lineup going into the tournament, which Alexander is shaking up.
“We’re going to play Tommy Mou instead of A.J. Crouch,” he said. “A.J.’s a freshman, and he didn’t play particularly well in the SEC tournament. I think Tommy’s more consistent.”
Crouch shot a team worst 21 over par in the SEC tournament, and Alexander hopes Mou will add the stability needed to advance past the regionals and onto the finals.
Mou will start things off for the Gators in the 8 a.m. group. He will be followed by sophomore Eric Banks at 8:10, sophomore J.D. Tomlinson at 8:20, senior T.J. Vogel at 8:30 and senior Tyler McCumber at 8:40.
Senior T.J. Vogel will lead Florida into the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, where it will face SEC foes No. 2 Alabama, No. 17 LSU and No. 24 Mississippi State.
