After winning the Florida Challenge in late January and then shooting a dismal 11 over last weekend at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, California, Sierra Brooks came out on fire Sunday at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Championship in New Orleans.
The sophomore transfer was 3 under through the front nine and shot an even par on the back nine to finish 3 under for the day, good for a tie of third place.
Brooks led the way for the No. 19 Gators, who currently have sole possession of first place after the first day of the three-day tournament. They lead second-place Michigan State by a stroke and third-place North Carolina by eight shots.
Sophomore Marta Perez trailed Brooks by a stroke and currently sits in fifth place at 2 under. After shooting an even par through the front nine, Perez shot a 2 under on the back nine to give the Gators a late boost. Senior Taylor Tomlinson shot a 1 under and tied for ninth.
Freshman Addie Baggarly slid into the four-spot for Florida, finishing 1 over and tied for 20th.
Carlotta Ricolfi, fresh off a tie for 11th place at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, was inserted into the top slot for the Gators, but failed to take advantage of a chance to grasp the reins of a young team. She finished tied for 35th at 3 over.
Florida also had one golfer compete individually, redshirt freshman Elin Esborn. The last time Esborn competed individually was in the Florida Challenge, where the Gators finished second to Miami. Had Esborn been inserted into the starting lineup in that tournament, Florida would have won.
It appears that a similar situation may be looming for UF. Esborn currently sits tied for ninth place after shooting a solid 1 under par on day one of the Sugar Bowl.
Coach Emily Glaser is expecting some flexibility from her team on Monday as weather could be a factor.
“There is some wind in the forecast, so we have to be ready to adapt,” Glaser said. “We had a good practice after the round and will try and carry some of those vibes with us (Monday).”
Florida tees off at 10:30 a.m. on Monday.
An article from FloridaGators.com contributed to this report.
Follow Chris O'Brien on Twitter @THEChrisOB and contact him at cobrien@alligator.org.
Sophomore Marta Perez sits in fifth place after Day 1 of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Championship in New Orleans.
