Florida has some ground to make up in the next two days in order to have a shot at a good tournament finish.
The Gators tied for 11th place at the end of the first round of the Chris Schenkel Invitational in Statesboro, Ga., on Friday, shooting a total score of 297 (+9).
No. 13 UAB sits in the top spot after shooting 285 (-3) as a team.
“The good news is we are not out of the golf tournament,” coach Buddy Alexander said in a release. “The course hasn’t really separated the field like it does in most cases. So we are still in good position to get back.”
Ryan Orr, Richard Donegan and J.D. Tomlinson are all currently sharing a spot for 29th place. They each shot 74 (+2) through the first 18 holes. Tomlinson leads the team with four birdies, and Orr totaled three.
Eric Banks and Victor Tarnstrom are following close behind with scores of 75 (+3) and 76 (+4), respectively.
Santiago Gavino, who is competing as an individual, struggled throughout the first round, finishing 10 over par with 82 strokes.
The problem for Florida will be cracking into the top tier of the 15-team field over the next two rounds. Four teams are tied for third place, and only five strokes separate leader UAB from those four squads.
“No one was awful in the top five,” Alexander put it.
The Gators continue the tournament with the second round on Saturday. The field will tee off at 9 a.m.
“We’re not too far out of it, and with a good day tomorrow, we’ll be back,” Alexander said.
Follow Layne Weitzel on Twitter @laynejweitzel
