Gator Country

LAS VEGAS – With a field featuring 11 of the Top 20 teams in the nation, including No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 3 Texas, and competing on one of the toughest courses in the nation, the No. 4 Florida Gators men’s golf team knew it would be tested in the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters this weekend.

On Friday, the Gators scored an A+, shooting a tournament-leading 292 (4-over) on the par-72, 7,510-yard Southern Highlands Golf Club, one of only four courses designed by the late Robert Trent Jones and his son Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Saturday, it was a different story as Florida totaled 326 (38-over) – the worst team total of the day – and slipped into a 10th-place tie with Arizona going into Sunday’s final round of the tournament. The Gators find themselves trailing tourney host UNLV by 25 shots. The Rebels have a 7-shot lead over No. 12 UCLA heading into the final 18 holes.  No. 8 Texas A&M is third at 26-over 602, a stroke ahead of No. 18 Southern California.

Only one school – No. 10 Arizona – improved on its first-round total, going from 305 to 303, which left the Sun Devils tied for fifth at 608 with No. 16 Texas Tech, which totaled a second-straight 304. UNLV was one shot off matching its first-round total of 296. Top-ranked Oklahoma State is at 623, 30 shots behind UNLV in 15th place.

“Today was a very humbling day for us,” Florida head coach Buddy Alexander said. “It was a day full of a lot of firsts for me as a coach. I’ve never counted an 85 or fallen from first to 10th. Today’s score was the highest score that I can remember. Obviously I am disappointed but maybe tomorrow we can come back and show a little character.”

Senior Tyson Alexander, who shared the first-round lead with Texas Christian’s Johan de Beer at 4-under-par 68, could only manage an 8-over-par 80 that left him in a tie for sixth at 4-over 148, five shots behind co-leaders Jesper Kennegard of Arizona State and T.J. Vogel of Southern California, who both matched par 72 and were at 1-under 143.

Florida’s best effort Saturday was turned in by senior Tim McKenney, who shot 79 for a two-day total of 154, good for a tie of 28th place. Freshman Phillip Choi (82-158) and redshirt junior Andres Echavarria (85-158) were tied for 49th and freshman Tyler McCumber (85-167) was tied for 77th.

SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS COLLEGIATE MASTERS
At par-72, 7,510-yard Southern Highlands Golf Club, Las Vegas, Nev.

Florida scores: T6. Tyson Alexander 148 (68-80) (+4); T28. Tim McKenney 154 (75-79) (+10); T49. Phillip Choi 158 (76-82) (+14) and Andres Echavarria 158 (73-85) (+14); T77. Tyler McCumber 167 (82-85) (+23).

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