After four top-five performances, the Gators head to Tallahassee to try to knock off some of the nations best squads.
The UF men’s golf team continues its spring schedule today when it starts three-day Seminole Intercollegiate at the SouthWood Golf Course.
This is the first time in program history that the Gators will be a part of the field in the Seminoles’ annual home tournament.
Seniors J.D. Tomlinson and Thomas Stewart as well as junior A.J. Crouch, sophomore Ryan Orr and freshman Alejandro Tosti fill out the lineup this week for the Gators.
Crouch sits in the No. 1 spot again this week after securing a share of 10th place at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate Saturday. Tomlinson and Tosti also finished in the top ten in Arizona over the weekend.
“I think J.D., Alejandro and A.J. have really solidified their place in the lineup,” coach JC Deacon said Monday. “Those three are really solid. I think Ryan Orr is so close. ... I think those last two spots are kind of they’re for the taking and we need someone to step up and grab it.”
Orr finished the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate tied for 22nd at 7-over-par. He was able to keep his final round under par until everything fell apart on the last three holes where he shot 8-4-5 on a par-5 and two par-4 holes.
For Stewart, this will be his first tournament of the Spring.
Stewart finished tied for 16th at the FGCU Classic in October, but failed to crack the top-50 in any of his previous three tournament appearances this season.
Florida heads into the Seminole Intercollegiate following two back-to-back fourth-place finishes as a team, but its competition will not get any easier.
The Gators will face five top-25 teams this weekend in No. 2 Florida State, No. 4 Georgia Tech, No. 8 USF, No. 14 South Carolina and No. 24 Virginia.
Deacon wants to see what his team can do if they can clean up the little things and improve on the details.
“I’m really urging them to focus on those aspects in their lives, and if they do, I’m excited to see what we can do because I really think this group’s really coming together,” Deacon said. “The talent’s there. We just need to clean it up.”
Follow Ryan Summers on Twitter @RyanSummers18
J.D. Tomlinson swings during Day 1 of the SunTrust Gator Invitational on Feb. 14 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
J.D. Tomlinson swings during Day 1 of the SunTrust Gator Invitational on Feb. 14 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
