The Gators have finally broken through in a big way.
After coming up short in their first five tournaments this season — finishing in the top four in four of them but never winning — Florida ran away with the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship in New Orleans on Tuesday.
The Gators won by 9 strokes, and it would have been an even greater margin had redshirt freshman Elin Esborn been competing with the team rather than as an individual. She finished tied for fourth overall and shot a 2 under, 13 strokes better than teammates Addie Baggarly and Carlotta Ricolfi.
Where Florida particularly excelled was on par 4 and par-5 holes. On par 4s, the team was led by sophomore transfer Sierra Brooks, who finished first in the event’s individual leaderboard. Sophomore Marta Perez was close behind, finishing second on par-4 holes.
On par 5 pins, the entire team contributed to an excellent mark. Florida had all six of its golfers in the top 30 for par-5 holes. For comparison, the only other team that had even three golfers in the top 30 was Oklahoma State, which finished in eighth place — 25 strokes behind the Gators.
If Florida has a weakness though, it’s the short game. The Gators shot 9 over on par-3 holes, finishing sixth in the event.
Florida coach Emily Glaser may want to rethink the team’s strategy as its season progresses.
UF has a break before its next tournament, the SunTrust Gator Invitational. The two-day event is the Gators only home tournament this season and begins on March 10.
Follow Chris O'Brien on Twitter @THEChrisOB and contact him at cobrien@alligator.org.
Sophomore Marta Perez was one of two Gators to win their respective matchups in Florida's
