Florida teed off round one of this year’s NCAA National Championship, finishing the day in a tie for 15th place.
It was a long walk back to the clubhouse for the UF squad after a slow first day on the green led to just one player inside the top-25 and two outside the top-100.
“It wasn't our best start, but we were only one score away from a really solid day,” coach Emily Glaser said in a release. “But we have three more days to make a move, and I know this team is talented enough to do that by playing smart, assertive golf.”
The Gators finished at 9 over par Friday, struggling throughout the 18-hole campaign.
Sophomore Taylor Tomlinson led UF at 1-under-par. Tomlinson carded just one bogey on the fourth and two birdies, both on the front-nine, to secure a tie for 19th place — the only Gator currently sitting in the top 25.
Two strokes behind the Gainesville native, junior Maria Torres finished the day in a tie for 39th at 1 over par.
Junior Kelly Grassel marked only three bogies throughout the day, but it was not enough to crack the top 50. Grassel finished in a tie for 55th place at 2 over par.
Karolina Vlckova finished Round 1 at 7 over par and sits in 122th place, alongside teammate Samantha Wagner.
Wagner marked the most bogeys on the team with nine across the 18 holes, and only two birdies to try and mitigate the damage.
The freshman had a similar start at the NCAA Regional Championship, ending the first round at 8 over par. However, success in the later rounds pushed Florida into first place on May 7.
Oklahoma State currently holds first place at 4 under par with UCLA two strokes behind. Florida sits eight strokes behind the third place tie of Washington and Southern California.
“The golf course is scoreable,” Glaser added in the release. “We just need to shift our focus a bit and start viewing it that way and see all the positives that are out there waiting."
UF tees off Round 2 on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. beginning on the 10th hole.
Contact Alfredo Morales at amorales@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @amorales_95
Taylor Tomlinson putts during the 2015 SunTrust Gator Invitational at UF's Mark Bostick Golf Course.
