What might be Buddy Alexander’s last tournament as head coach of Florida men’s golf came to a close Sunday.
The Gators shot a 6-over-par 286 in the third and final round of the Southeastern Conference Championship in St. Simons Island, Ga., capping the tournament with a final score at 859 (+19). UF and Tennessee tied to finish 12th in the 14-team tournament.
No. 1 Alabama held its lead throughout the three rounds, finishing first with a score of 806 (-34). Bobby Wyatt of the Crimson Tide also took the individual title, shooting 18-under-par with 192 total strokes.
“Today was an emotional day for all of us,” Alexander said in a release. “We didn’t play our best, but [I’m] proud of these kids. They did their absolute best today for the Gators, and they hung in there. … They’re a good group of kids, they’re young and their best golf is in front of them.”
Eric Banks shot a second consecutive round of 69 on Sunday, finishing the tournament at a 1-over-par 211 and in a tie for 26th place.
Ryan Orr bounced back from his shaky performance Saturday, shooting rounds of 70-74-71. The freshman made a team-leading four birdies in the third round of play. His 5-over-par 215 finish put him in a tie for 36th place.
J.D. Tomlinson and Richard Donegan matched one another’s third round score of 73. Tomlinson shot 73 and 72 in the first two rounds to end in a tie for 51st place with a 218 (+8) score, while Donegan shot 76 and 70 to share a spot for 56th place with a 219 (+9) score.
Victor Tarnstrom rounded out the five-man lineup for the Gators at 69th place. He shot rounds of 85, 70 and 74, giving him a total score of 229 (+19).
“It wasn’t about the score today,” Alexander said. “It was about effort, and that was there. They have a bright future, and I’m looking forward to watching them improve and have a lot of success down the road. Hopefully we did some things this year for that to be the case.”
Florida will learn its fate for the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship on Monday, May 5. For the first time, the teams and individuals selected to participate will be announced live on the Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” TV program. The Gators finished 25th in the championship last season.
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