The Florida men’s golf team was not the only one that struggled in the first day of the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate.
Each of the 15 teams finished over par after 18 holes, while only three golfers (out of 78 total) shot under par.
UF sits in fourth place at 20 over after the opening round of the tournament on Friday in Columbus, Ohio. It is 10 strokes behind first-place Michigan.
The Robert Kepler Intercollegiate, which normally consists of three rounds (two on Friday, one on Saturday), was cut short due to inclement weather. Friday’s second round was canceled, so the champion will be decided after 36 holes instead of 54.
Sophomore John Axelsen led the Gators with a score of 4 over, tying him for 14th place. He shot a double bogey on the second-to-last hole of the day but rebounded with a birdie on the final one.
Sophomore Chris Nido and redshirt junior Blake Dyer, who both trail Axelsen by one stroke, ended the first round in a tie for 22nd.
Nido had a difficult time on the front nine. He recorded five bogeys and failed to shoot a birdie.
But the sophomore performed better on the back nine, where he posted two birdies, including one on the final hole of the round.
Dyer did not shoot a birdie in the opening round. The redshirt junior recorded five bogeys, with three of those coming in his last five holes.
Senior Gordon Neale shot a 6 over, putting him in a tie for 32nd.
His only bright spot of the day was an eagle on six. Neale had six bogeys, including five straight on the back nine, and one double-bogey.
Freshman Aden Ye was inserted into the starting lineup in place of sophomore Manny Girona, who finished his last event tied for 112th with a score of 20 over at The Goodwin on March 28-30.
Ye ended the first day of the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate tied for 40th, shooting an 8 over. The freshman posted six bogeys, two double-bogeys and two birdies.
Redshirt senior Ryan Celano also finished with a score of 8 over. He was the only Gator to compete as an individual.
Celano did not record a birdie through 18 holes. He shot four bogeys on the front nine and two double-bogeys on the back one.
The Robert Kepler Intercollegiate, which normally consists of three rounds (two on Friday, one on Saturday), was cut short due to inclement weather. Friday’s second round was canceled, so the champion will be decided after 36 holes instead of 54.
Follow Bryan Matamoros on Twitter @bmatamoros_ and contact him at bmatamoros@alligator.org.
Sophomore John Axelsen led the Gators with a score of 4 over, tying him for 14th place on the first day of the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate.
