The UF men’s golf team has had seven different starting lineups in eight tournaments this season under the direction of first-year coach JC Deacon.
As the team heads to Statesboro, Georgia, to take part in the Chris Schenkel Invitational, fans could possibly see an eighth different starting five.
This week, the athletes will be graded on their attitudes instead of their statistical performances.
"The only thing I care about is the guys taking care of the details in their life, doing the little things right and having a good attitude," Deacon said. "They can control all those things, and we haven’t been doing that well. And frankly I’ve had enough of it. So we’re just going to base our performance off that, I’m not worried about the score and the results. They’re going to be graded on their attitudes, they know that and we’ll see how they react."
Senior Thomas Stewart, who hadn’t played in a tournament since October, filled the five-spot in the lineup last week at the Seminole Intercollegiate.
Coach Deacon said Stewart earned his spot in a qualifying tournament held between the team during the week, and Deacon thinks competition between the athletes is helping the team improve.
"As a coach that’s your dream, to see someone who really wasn’t in the running to be picked, stepped up and beat everyone to earn his spot," Deacon said.
"I think that as a player that is how you can really develop confidence when you go and you earn it, no one gives you anything and you step up and play the performance that you have to to get that spot. That’s where confidence truly comes from, is earning it."
The confidence of the team has been building through the first half of March, but Deacon said Florida is still just playing average golf and needs to step it up as a group.
The Gators finished seventh at the Seminole Intercollegiate — their worst finish since October — after finishing in the top-five in four tournaments in a row heading into the tournament.
Senior J.D. Tomlinson has been consistent for the team, stringing together nine rounds shooting at-par or better.
During that span, Tomlinson finished with a share of the runner-up spot at Florida’s home event — the SunTrust Gator Invitational — along with a sixth-place finish in Arizona and a share of ninth last weekend.
The Gators return to action Friday, and the schedule has allowed for little practice in Gainesville.
Deacon says that three tournaments in consecutive weekends are tough, but the players know what they signed up for.
"It’s going to be busy and it’s going to be tough sometimes, and I’m starting to learn whose rising to the top through all this," Deacon said. "Adversity as a coach is a great thing, you learn the most about your players through that. And right now, especially this week, I’m really going to find out what this team is all about."
Follow Ryan Summers on Twitter @RyanSummers18
J.D. Tomlinson tees off on Day 2 of the SunTrust Gator Invitational on Feb. 16 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
