Never before had a team shot even par or better overall at the SunTrust Gator Invitational in Gainesville. That is, never before Sunday.
Florida not only won the event for the third straight year, but it set a record by shooting even par.
Campbell University followed the Gators on the scoreboard for most of the afternoon but fell apart on the last three holes.
On hole 17, Annelie Sjoholm of Campbell and Waverly Whiston of Tennessee were issued a two-stroke penalty for accidentally hitting each other’s balls, putting Campbell out of reach and sealing the win for Florida. Whiston was visibly upset and groaned loudly while Sjoholm displayed a defeated smile after the mistake.
Sophomore transfer Sierra Brooks led Florida and finished five strokes behind the first place Jiwon Jeon. Brooks carded a 2 under, good enough for runner-up.
Redshirt freshman Elin Esborn was on her heels the whole way, as she closed at 1 under and sole possession of third place.
“I felt like, individually, I was hunting,” Esborn said. “Shot on par, so I can’t complain.”
Two slots behind Esborn sat sophomore Marta Perez. She finished at 2 over, moving up ten slots in the final round to a tie for fifth place.
Freshman Addie Baggarly followed Perez. Baggarly finished the tournament at 4 over after dropping four shots in the last round. She double-bogeyed holes 3 and 8 but finished tied for 13th place.
Rounding out Florida’s five scorers was senior Taylor Tomlinson. In her final Gator Invitational, she recorded a 6 over and tied for 18th.
Sophomore Carlotta Ricolfi and freshman Lauren Waidner competed individually. They finished 10 and 14 over, respectively. Waidner competed in her only tournament of the season.
“I was thrilled for her to post some good numbers,” Glaser said of Waidner. “You love seeing a kid with a great work ethic have it all pay off for them.”
Florida has now won the last two tournaments it has played in, as it won the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, in February. Next up for the Gators is the Evans Derby Invitational in Auburn, Alabama, with the first round slated for March 18.
Follow Chris O'Brien on Twitter @THEChrisOB and contact him at cobrien@alligator.org.
Sophomore Sierra Brooks paced Florida with an even par at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic over the weekend.
