Freshman John Axelsen had a rough start to his season, finishing 7 over in both of the Gators’ first two tournaments of fall before being removed from the lineup ahead of their next competition.
He bounced back in a big way on Sunday.
On Day 1 of the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational at Isleworth Country Club in Windermere, Florida, Axelsen was 5 under, carding eight birdies on his way to a share of the individual lead in the tournament. As a team, Florida sits in second place, trailing only Illinois.
“Today was a great start for us,” coach J.C. Deacon said in a release. “We were solid across the board. I love when all our counting rounds are par or better. It’s the sign of good things to come.”
Axelsen carded six of his eight birdies on the front nine, before slowing down on the back nine. “To have John Axelsen lead us the way he did is also really exciting,” Deacon said. “We all knew the great play was coming and we’re happy his work paid off with a 67 today.”
Axelsen wasn’t the only Gator golfer to bounce back on Sunday. Senior Alejandro Tosti finished 1 under and is currently tied for 11th.
After winning the first tournament of the season, Tosti struggled in back-to-back tournaments, and Florida had to look elsewhere for production. However, if the senior can continue to put together solid rounds like he had in Round 1, it will likely mean good things for the Gators.
Junior Gordon Neale and Freshman Chris Nido both carded respectable rounds as well, finishing even par, and are both tied for 22nd.
Redshirt sophomore Blake Dyer made his season debut on Sunday, but his day didn’t go as smoothly as it did for the rest of the UF team, as Dyer finished 7 over. He was sitting at 2 under after the front nine, but he shot a nine on a par 4 to open the back nine, and subsequently posted two double bogeys, falling into a tie for 84th.
Despite Dyer’s collapse, Florida still has four golfers in the top 25, and as it only trails Illinois by 3 strokes.
“We know there is a lot of golf left and we will have to remain super patient and disciplined at Isleworth,” Deacon said. “It’s nice to have ourselves in position again.”
You can follow Tyler Nettuno on Twitter @TylerNettuno, and contact him at tnettuno@alligator.org.
UF golfer John Axelsen is 5 under after the first day of the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational, helping the Gators finish the day in second place.
