The Gators’ only home tournament of the season begins Friday morning with No. 16 UF hosting 14 teams at the 42nd annual SunTrust Gator Women’s Golf Invitational.
The Gators have won seven times in the last twelve years at the Mark Bostick Golf Course and hold seventeen titles in total.
“We should have an advantage just because, with the greens especially, we play on them all the time,” coach Emily Glaser said. “So we know some of those nuances that teams coming in may not know.”
Following a personal best two weeks ago at the Allstate Sugar Bowl, freshman Maria Torres took first place in the Gator lineup. Redshirt Katie Mitchell, who has made the lineup every tournament this year, and junior Sarah Schober will both compete for the first time at home.
Elcin Ulu, the only senior on the UF team, will compete at home for the last time, and junior Camilla Hedberg will compete for the third consecutive year. Both players placed in the top-ten during last year’s competition, with Ulu tying for sixth and Hedberg tying for ninth.
Sophomore Ursa Orehek and freshman Karolina Vlckova will compete as individuals.
Although the Gators hope to take advantage of playing at home, Glaser said the team will focus on each hole instead of the pressures of the home game.
“You still have to get the ball in the hole,” Glaser said. “It’s taking it one shot at a time and just making sure we cross our T’s and dot our I’s going into the weekend and just go play.”
Follow Emily Cochrane on Twitter @EmilySCochrane
