After a shortened first round of play Friday night, coach Emily Glaser concluded a release by saying, “You never know what can happen.”
Her words rang true two days later after the No. 19 Gators finished the Southeastern Conference Championship on Sunday 49-over-par with a player in the top five and a player in last place. UF finished tied for 10th place out of 14 teams.
Although only three teams stood between Florida and the bottom of the leaderboard, the 913 (+49) finish was a marked improvement from its 88-over-par finish in 2013.
Freshman Maria Torres, playing in her first postseason tournament, led the team with three consistent rounds of play at the Greystone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Ala.
With her score increasing by one stroke each day and an eagle in the final hole of Round 3, Torres earned the first top-five finish of her collegiate career by tying with Alabama’s Stephanie Meadow and Janie Jackson for fifth place at 219 (+3).
“Maria fought hard today after her own tough start, and her three birdies coming in on the back nine really showed what kind of a competitor she is,” Glaser said in a release. “She had a great SEC Tournament and led our team.”
Despite Glaser’s assurance that Florida is “a good enough team to score better on this golf course,” junior Sarah Schober was the only other player besides Torres to place in the top 25 with five total birdies and an even-par finish in the third round.
“It was a disappointing day for our team,” Glaser said. “We got off to a terrible start through about six holes and were never able to rebound.”
Freshman Karolina Vlckova and senior Elcin Ulu finished within two strokes of each other, with scores of 233 (+17) and 235 (+19), respectively. While Vlckova fell from an even par Round 2 finish, Ulu consistently stayed between 6- and 7-over-par and finished eight strokes and two places ahead of her performance last year.
Camilla Hedberg was first in the lineup and last in the leaderboard, scoring at least three double bogeys in each round. The junior finished the tournament 40-over-par, a severe drop from her 16-over-par finish in 2013.
“It was a humbling week,” Glaser said. “But we have some important golf left to play this season and we will turn our attention to the future.”
Follow Emily Cochrane on Twitter @EmilySCochrane
Maria Torres hits the ball during the SunTrust Gator Women’s Golf Invitational on March 15.
