Sophomore’s Maria Torres and Kelly Grassel were two peas in a pod during the first round of the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C.
Both shot a 1-under, 71 at the Peter Dye Course and they also had two birdies and one bogey in their first round and matched the season low score for the Gators. Torres and Grassel sit in a tie for 14th place and five shots behind the individual leader after 18 holes.
Overall, Florida sits in sole possession of third place after the first round after an even-par performance. UF is five shots back of Purdue who paces the field after shooting a 283. No. 16 Wake Forest is in second place two shots ahead of the Gators. Florida is one shot ahead of in-state opponent UCF.
Florida’s third place finish in the first round is their best performance of the fall season. In their previous two tournaments, the Gators tie for sixth place after the first round of the Tar Heel Invitational was their previous high.
The rest of the Florida lineup shot a 1-over, 73. Sophomore Karolina Vlckova had two birdies and three bogeys in her first round. Junior Ursa Orehek was able to bounce back after a double bogey on the first hole, which was her 10th since she started on the back nine.
Orehek had three birdies and two bogeys to go along with her double. Freshman Taylor Tomlinson started her day at 2-under-par, before having a triple bogey on the par-4 15th hole. Tomlinson birdied her last hole on the day to finish at 1-over-par.
Vlckova, Orehek and Tomlinson all sit in a tie for 28th place after their performances in the first round.
The Gators will open the second round at 8:21 AM looking to continue the momentum they achieved in the first round.
Coach Emily Glaser was happy with the team’s performance and their demeanor during the first round.
“It was a good start for the team today, and a very consistent day from top to bottom,” Glaser said in a release. “They stayed patient and kept great attitudes throughout the day.”
Follow Luis Torres on Twitter @LFTorresIII
Maria Torres hits the ball during the SunTrust Gator Women's Golf Invitational on March 15.
