After not performing up to the standards of a nationally successful program, the Florida men’s golf team looks to bounce back after a discouraging 13th-place finish in its first tournament of the year as it heads to Zionsville, Ind., for the two-day Wolf Run Intercollegiate.
Coach J.C. Deacon made it a point to remind the players of how poorly they played in the opening tournament.
"I don’t think I let them move on, I reminded them of how we finished quite a few times," Deacon said. "It has bothered them and I’ve let them know how much it bothered me, our result, and I’m really planning on seeing a different team this weekend."
The team lineup has undergone some changes for Zionsville. Freshman Ryan Celano, who won the qualifying rounds for the tournament, will be making his collegiate debut on Saturday.
And Eric Banks, who was the 2014 recipient of the David Toms Award, will be making his senior year debut. Not being able to help the team in the first tournament is motivating Banks this weekend.
"It hurt a lot, just because I knew that I could contribute to the team," Banks said. "I would’ve obviously liked to play, I heard it was a great course, but I’m kind of looking forward to this one and getting the ball rolling."
Deacon said the Wolf Run Golf Club is a long and hard golf course that presents a test for the team.
"It’s a big boy golf course," said sophomore Ryan Orr, who finished the first tournament at 12-over par. "It’s very long, so off the tee is going to be crucial because it looks like the rough is pretty long and if you start hitting it in the rough on longer holes off the tee, you might not even be able to hit the green."
One of the other challenges which might present itself over the weekend in Zionsville is the potential for cooler weather. With nine out of the 10 players on the team from the state of Florida, Banks, who is from Truro, Canada, has been giving advice to the players on how to deal with the weather conditions.
Even with the disappointing finish at the Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic almost two weeks ago, Orr said the team has its eyes on the prize.
"Our expectation is to try to win this golf tournament," he said. "I don’t know who’s playing in it, but I don’t think it really matters. I think we’re all capable and we’re all playing well, so I think we can win this thing."
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Eric Banks tees off during Day 2 of the SunTrust Gator Invitational on Feb. 16 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
