The Fall season may be over, but No. 9 Florida is already looking to get back into the swing of things for Spring.
Coach JC Deacon finished the Fall with his first UF victory. The Gators won the Florida Gulf Coast University Classic on Oct. 27 by an incredible 42-stroke margin.
Over the course of the whooping win at the Old Corkscrew Golf Club, Deacon was able to learn a lot about the team’s strengths.
"The best thing about our team right now is the depth that we have," Deacon said. "I think we were leading by 20 something shots going into the final round.
"And because our guys are so competitive and there’s so much depth, they all knew they had to play well just so their teammates didn’t pass them on the final round."
But now the team has to shift its focus, and they have to figure out how to carry the momentum from that win through the offseason and into Spring.
The first thing Deacon wants is to make sure his players are rested and ready by the time Spring rolls around.
He said he encourages his players to take a week or two off because of the demanding schedule in September and October.
Deacon also wants to make sure the players don’t lose sight of the reason they’re here in the first place: to go to school.
Older guys like Ryan Orr and Conor Richardson do a good job of setting a high standard when it comes to academics, ensuring everyone stays caught up with schoolwork, Deacon said.
But the team also has to keep its golf game sharp.
And many of UF’s golfers will be competing in tournaments individually to ward off any rust.
"All of our guys, especially the starters in the lineup, they’re going to be playing at least two competitive tournaments," Deacon said.
"And that’s all on their own accord."
Deacon estimated that seven Gators are planning to compete in the South Beach International Amateur in Miami Beach before the holidays.
Two of Florida’s international golfers, freshman Jorge Garcia of Venezuela and sophomore Alejandro Tosti of Argentina, will be participating in the Latin America Amateur Championship in the Dominican Republic in January.
The winner of the tournament will get a spot in the Masters in April.
Deacon said he is excited for the two to compete, especially with an opportunity to watch one of his players play in one of the biggest tournaments in golf.
"With something like a Masters spot on the line, it’s so easy to motivate them," Deacon said.
"They know what’s on the line. You don’t have to tell them to get up and get working; they do it on their own."
Overall, the Fall season was one of drastic improvement for the Gators.
After finishing seventh in its first two tournaments, the team found a spark and placed top-five in its remaining three tournaments.
Deacon has always attributed his team’s success or failures to the mental aspect of golf.
And his reaction to the Fall season was no different, emphasizing the team’s positive energy.
"(They’re) a great bunch of guys to be around," Deacon said. "They’re working hard in school now. And the program’s really starting to build into what we all thought it could be."
"They’re stronger as a group together. They’re working harder than they ever have. And I’m really, really excited for a bigtime Spring."
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Alejandro Tosti putts during the 2015 SunTrust Gator Invitational on Feb. 14.
