It’s been a tumultuous spring season for coach J.C. Deacon’s Florida men’s golf team.
An impressive victory at the Southern Highlands Collegiate last month was sandwiched between two disappointing performances at the SunTrust Gator Invitational in mid-February and the Schenkel Invitational three weeks ago. The Gators currently sit at No. 12 in the Golfweek rankings, five places below where they were at Southern Highlands.
“I don’t think we’ve played our best,” Deacon said. “I think we’re doing OK, but I think our best golf is yet to come.”
Florida is currently in the midst of its longest break in the spring season. It last competed on March 18 and won’t compete again until April 13 at the Mason Rudolph Championship in Nashville, Tennessee. Despite the lack of competitive action, the Gators have remained busy.
“We’re actually having probably the most intense qualifier we’ve had all year,” Deacon said. “We’ve got seven guys that are really kinda in the hunt for those five spots.
With three of the qualifying rounds already complete, the Gators will spend the weekend relaxing as a team and watching The Masters. Starting Monday, Florida will be back on the golf course preparing for the event. After action concludes in Tennessee, the team will begin preparing for the SEC Championship, which begins on April 25.
Follow Sam Campisano on Twitter @samcampisano and contact him at scampisano@alligator.org.
After a sixth place finish last month in Statesboro, Georgia, UF coach JC Deacon expressed his lukewarm feelings on his team's performance. “I think we’re doing OK, but I think our best golf is yet to come," he said.