The Floridian Golf Club in Palm City has never been kind to the Florida Gators.
The last time the Gators teed off on the par-71 course in 2014, they finished second to last.
And Wednesday’s final round at the Valspar Collegiate was no better.
The No. 2 Florida men’s golf team battled a tough course and blustery conditions to finish the 54-hole event at plus 57, four shots behind 14th-place Georgia Tech, giving second-year coach J.C. Deacon his first last-place finish as UF’s head coach.
The Gators’ 57-over total marked the squad’s worst overall score in an event since shooting 65 over at the Fighting Illini Invitational in September 2013 in then-head coach Buddy Alexander’s final season with the team.
“It’s one that you want to learn from a little bit and forget,” Deacon said in a release. “It wasn’t a very successful week, for whatever reason, and I’m sure it’s going to make us better.”
This tournament was an anomaly for an otherwise consistent squad. The Gators hadn’t finished outside the top three in any event this spring and were coming off a runner-up finish at the Southern Highlands Collegiate on March 9.
To put into perspective just how poorly the Gators played, the winner of the Valspar, No. 4 Texas, ended the tournament at plus 3 — 54 shots ahead of Florida.
“Obviously, it wasn’t our best golf and was the end to a really tough week,” Deacon said. “I hope it’s a wake up call.”
The individual winner of the event earned an exemption to compete in the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship in 2017, something Deacon said would provide his team with extra motivation coming into the event.
Instead, the Gators will be watching the event on TV, as no Florida player finished inside the top 15.
UF’s top golfer, Sam Horsfield, had a tough time navigating the 7,114-yard trek. The freshman struggled to get going all day, carding three bogeys and three birdies on his way to an even-par 71, giving him a share of 20th place at five over par. Wednesday marked the first time Horsfield failed to break par in at least one round of a tournament since the Tavistock Collegiate back in October.
Freshman Jorge Garcia couldn’t find any rhythm on Day 2. Garcia’s 3-over 74 gave him an 11-over total and a share of 50th place — the worst finish of his career.
In three rounds, freshman Kyler Tate recorded only three birdies. A 5-over 76 in Round 3 left him at 20 over par and in a tie 69th.
Senior Richard Donegan’s 6-over 77 capped off the Gators’ top-four scorers. It was Donegan’s only round to count toward the team competition.
The Gators don’t have much time to figure things out.
One stop remains until UF travels to St. Simons, Georgia, to compete in the Southeastern Conference Championship.
Up next, the Gators will head to Franklin, Tennessee, to tee off at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in the Mason Rudolph Championship on April 2 and 3.
“We’ll see how the this team reacts,” Deacon said. “This is going to test our leadership and resilience, and it’s going to be fun watching how these guys bounce back.”
Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.
