The UF men’s golf team secured a runner-up finish in its final regular season tournament at the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship in West Point, Mississippi, on Tuesday.
After the first day of the tournament was stopped due to weather issues, the Gators finished the second and third rounds and posted a season-low score.
The Gators finished the tournament at 13-under-par, one stroke off first-place University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Seniors J.D. Tomlinson and Eric Banks both finished the tournament in the top five after shooting 7-under-par and 6-under-par, respectively.
Sophomore Ryan Orr and freshman Alejandro Tosti both finished tied for 18th at even par for the tournament. Junior A.J. Crouch rounded out the five for the Gators finishing tied for 45th at 7-over-par.
Tomlinson’s fourth place finish and three consecutive under-par rounds at Old Waverly Golf Club marks his sixth top-ten finish of the season for the Gators.
Tomlinson improved on his finish at last years Old Waverly where he shot 4-under-par for a share of fifth place.
Banks’ fifth place result ties his season best finish and it was the first time this season he finished a tournament under-par.
“I’ve seen these guys play for four years, so it’s great seeing them improve the way they have over those four years,” assistant coach John Handrigan said in a release. “Eric Banks had probably his best finish as a Gator, and it was great to see that happen.”
Head coach JC Deacon told the media last week that this tournament was going to be about building momentum heading into the Southeastern Conference Championship and the postseason.
The solid play from the two seniors is helping build that momentum just like the coaching staff hoped for.
“The best part about this whole trip was that the guys worked their butts off out there,” Handrigan said. “They really worked hard and played hard. Obviously, everybody wants to win, but it’s not always about winning. It’s about us getting better. This week, every player in our group was playing better. We’re heading into SECs, so it’s a good feeling knowing that we’re peaking at the right time.”
The runner-up finish for the Gators marks their fourth second place finish this season.
In Deacon’s first year as head coach, the Gators finished 20 percent better on average than last season. The team finished in the top-five six times compared to just twice from last year.
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J.D. Tomlinson tees off on Day 2 of the SunTrust Gator Invitational on Feb. 16 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
