After a disappointing fourth place finish in the one-day Florida Challenge Jan. 27, the Gators are looking to improve in their second tournament of the spring season.
On Sunday, the team will take on eight of the top-ten Division I teams, including top-ranked USC and No. 2 UCLA, in the three-round Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif. The Gators placed fifth out of 16 teams in last year’s competition.
Senior Elcin Ulu will lead the Florida lineup after her fourth-place finish in the Florida Challenge. Junior and team captain Camilla Hedberg, who competed as an individual in the Florida Challenge, freshman Maria Torres, redshirt sophomore Katie Mitchell and freshman Karolina Vlckova will also compete for the Gators in Palos Verdes, all four having placed in the top 25 in their last tournament.
Junior Sarah Schober will also compete in the three-day tournament as an individual.
Though the tournament is notorious for its difficult course and tough competitive field, assistant coach Janice Olivencia said that she and coach Emily Glaser expect a better performance on Sunday.
“The girls are excited about the tough field — we’re one of the best in the nation and we’re going against the top teams in the nation and it’s going to be a great start to the season,” Olivencia said. “We expect to do well and the girls expect to do well.”
The leadership and experience of Ulu and Hedberg, the only two girls on the team who have played in Palos Verdes, coupled with Olivencia and Coach Emily Glaser’s personal experience on the course has been critical in the Gators’ preparation for the tournament.
“We know that course as a golfer and we have coached on the event,” Olivencia said. “Because we know each hole, we can imitate or duplicate it in a way that we can go on the range and prepare them for what to expect.”
Having emphasized individual work during practice, the team is prepared for the challenge to come the day of the tournament.
“You expect the unexpected and you do your best when the time comes,” Olivencia said. “You gotta go out there and play, and play your best and hope that at the end of the day you can hold the trophy.”
Follow Emily Cochrane on Twitter @EmilySCochrane
