The Gators’ men's and women's golf teams played the first round of their opening fall tournament, The Blessings Collegiate Invitational, on Monday.
The women’s team is currently tied for third overall in the team competition at 7-over-par. It trails LSU by two strokes and the leader, Arkansas, by six. The Razorbacks shot 1-over-par collectively for round one, the only team to come close to breaking par.
As for individual players, senior Addie Baggarly and freshman Maisie Filler set the standard for the Gators. They both shot a 1-under-par 71 and are tied for third overall. Filler dominated in her college debut, knocking in seven birdies, including four straight on the front nine.
The men’s team didn’t have as much success on day one. Florida sits at ninth place after posting a collective 12-over-par. The Gators trail first-place Tennessee by 20 strokes after the Volunteers posted an 8-under-par.
Freshman Joe Pagdin and junior transfer Giovanni Manzoni led the way for the Gators Monday. They are both tied for 19th overall after shooting 1-over-par.
Gators head coach J.C. Deacon isn’t worried about the rough start from the men’s team. He said that it was expected due to the lack of preparation time as a result of COVID-19. He does, however, expect them to perform much better over the next two days.
“I know how talented this team is and we will get it going,” Deacon said in a release. “Just need a little momentum to start the day and we will get right back in contention.”
The men’s team tees off at 1 p.m. tomorrow, while the women’s team starts at 10:35 a.m. The tournament will be broadcasted live each day on the Golf Channel from 2:30-5:30 p.m. each day.
Contact Michael Hull at mhull@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Michael_Hull33.
Senior Addie Baggarly practices at Mark Bostick Golf Course. Baggarly and freshman Maisie Filler are currently tied for third overall in the Gators' first tournament of the season.
Michael Hull is a fourth-year journalism sports & media major and a sports writer at The Alligator. He hosts the weekly sports podcast and has worked on staff for five semesters. In the past, Hull has served as the sports editor, the men's and women's golf beat writer, the volleyball beat writer and the football beat writer.
