The UF men’s and women’s golf teams both have a lot to build on heading into the spring campaign.
Both come in ranked inside the top 15 nationally, both played very solidly in their respective Fall tournaments, and both have a lot to prove after finishing outside the top five in the Southeastern Conference last year.
The men’s team, led by second-year coach J.C. Deacon, made tremendous improvements from last year, including bringing in freshman Sam Horsfield.
Horsfield’s resume is impressive, as he advanced to the Round of 32 at the 2015 U.S. Amateur, won the 2013 class 3A FHSAA championship, and played in the U.S. Open. He also boasts the No. 23 individual ranking according to Golfweek, which is tops on the team.
Junior Alejandro Tosti has also played solid golf for the Gators, boasting his own ranking of No. 45 while claiming a share of the Florida Gulf Coast University Classic title in the Fall and helping lead Florida to victory in the same tournament.
In addition to Horsfield and Tosti, junior Ryan Orr and freshman Jorge Garcia are expected to be major contributors.
While the men’s team finished in a tie for seventh in the SEC last season, it did manage to make it all the way to the NCAA Championships, where it placed 28 out of 30.
Currently sitting with a No. 11 ranking, expectations are greater this year.
The women’s squad also comes in with higher expectations and sports a ranking of No. 13.
In her fourth season, coach Emily Glaser is leading a squad thick with veterans, as six of the team’s nine athletes are upperclassmen.
However, it’s an underclassmen who comes in with the most clout.
Sophomore Taylor Tomlinson boasts the No. 52 national ranking, which is best on the team. She’s also coming off a season in which she was named to the All-SEC Freshman team and paced the team with a tournament-best round of 70 at the 2015 SEC Championship.
Taylor’s brother, J.D. Tomlinson, was a senior and a major contributor on the men’s team last year.
This season, more is expected of his younger sibling on the women’s team.
In addition to Tomlinson, junior Maria Torres is the team’s second-highest ranked player at No. 63, and fellow junior Karolina Vlckova is coming off an individual trip to the NCAA Championships and was a Golfweek Honorable Mention All-American.
Much like the men’s team, a sixth place finish in the SEC last season was unsatisfactory. This season, coming off a first place finish at the Alamo Invitational in Fall, expectations are higher.
Follow Ethan Bauer on Twitter @ebaueri
Alejandro Tosti putts during the 2015 SunTrust Gator Invitational on Feb. 14.
