For the first and only time this year, the Florida men’s golf team will compete on their home course.
The fifth-ranked Gators are set to host the 38th annual SunTrust Gator Invitational this Saturday and Sunday at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
The Gators will be competing against 13 other teams during the two-day, 54-hole event, including No. 3 Florida State, No. 18 Vanderbilt and No. 30 South Florida, which took home the trophy last year while Florida finished fourth.
UF has been on a roll as of late, winning its last event by a tournament-record 23 shots at the Sea Best Invitational on Feb. 2.
The Gators will need to keep up their hot play in order to compete in an event they haven’t won since 2011. Keeping a sharp focus will be key.
"We definitely want to win. That’s our goal this week," freshman golfer Jorge Garcia said before Thursday’s practice round. "But I think we’re more focused on the preparation and what we’re going to do to be able to give ourselves a chance on Sunday."
Head coach J.C. Deacon said he wasn’t too happy with the team’s attitude leading up to Wednesday. However, he said the team had a group meeting and got things sorted out.
"It just felt like the effort and the sharpness of our attitude dipped a little bit. Maybe just a little bit too much celebration or whatever from their win," Deacon said. "We’ve gotta get back to business. There’s some really great teams coming in town this weekend. Just wanna make sure our focus is at an all-time high."
UF will boast a fearsome lineup come Saturday. In addition to Garcia, the first four of the lineup will feature star freshman Sam Horsfield, sophomore Alejandro Tosti and junior Ryan Orr. Horsfield, the 33rd-ranked amateur golfer in the world, was recently named to the Ben Hogan Award Watch List and earned Southeastern Conference Golfer of the Week honors following his individual title at the Sea Best.
Florida’s fifth spot has been up in the air. However, after firing a 3-under 67 during one of the team’s practice rounds, redshirt junior A.J. Crouch will get the chance to prove himself as the fifth and final member of the team’s lineup.
"We put the spot on the line, and he went out and earned it," Deacon said of Crouch. "Very happy for him and glad that some work’s paid off."
However, Deacon said the team needs all 11 golfers focused and on the same page.
With family and friends in town, there will be added distractions and high expectations for the team.
"There (are) some distractions, so it’s an opportunity for us to see how we can handle that kind of stuff," Deacon said.
"There’s some great teams here this week, so if we don’t play our best, we can get blown out of the water. I know the guys’ focus is going to be high, and we’ll be ready to go."
Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.
UF men's golf coach J.C. Deacon speaks during a press conference in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
