After a second place finish at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship, the 32nd ranked Gators’ confidence was high heading into Friday’s first round of the SunTrust Gator Women's Golf Invitational.
A part from their second place standing on the leaderboards being its highest since February 2014, they were also playing at home for the only time during the spring season.
With Round 1 in the books – despite their struggles – the team has reason to keep their heads up moving forward, as they finished the day in second-place (+14), two strokes behind first-place Arizona.
“I am happy with our attitudes today and every girl played hard all of the way to the end,” coach Emily Glaser said in a release. “Overall, it's a solid start and we are excited for the weekend.”
The conditions were not favorable Friday, causing each team to struggle on the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
“The course was challenging, as the scores would indicate,” said Glaser. “The weather was a bit of a factor.”
But despite the inclement weather, sophomore Kelly Grassel had her best performance of the spring, finishing with a score of one-over-par, putting her in a tie for second place.
“I'm happy with the way I managed my game today, because this golf course is challenging for us,” Grassel said.
It wasn’t just Grassel who had success, though.
Fellow sophomore Karolina Vlckova also finished Round 1 in the top-ten, as she shot four-over-par, matching senior Anna Young, who is competing as an individual. The duo is currently sitting with six others in a tie for ninth place.
While shooting +14 is not an ideal score, it is important that the Gators keep their focus heading into Saturday’s second round.
For Grassel, that shouldn’t be an issue.
“Tomorrow, I just want to stick to my plan and stay patient. Every day is different and I'm going to focus on the process rather than results.”
Follow Justen Rosenberg on Twitter @JustenRosenberg
