The No. 10 Florida women’s golf team plays host to the 38th SunTrust Gator Women’s Invitational Saturday and Sunday at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
Florida, which has four top-5 finishes this spring including a victory at the Central District Invitational, will use the 54-hole tourney as its final tuneup for the SEC Championship at the NorthRiver Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa, Ala., April 16-18.
This year’s tournament serves as the first for many of the Gators, including head coach Jan Dowling. A year ago, Florida finished fifth. The Gators have won 16 of the previous 37 tournaments. The Gators won titles in 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008, setting the tournament record of 9-over-par 849 during that last victory.
Dowling has set her five-player lineup which includes sisters Isabelle and Marika Lendl. Isabelle, a sophomore, is ranked 49th in this week’s Golfweek/Sagarin women’s individual rankings and Marika, a freshman, is 54th. Freshman Mia Piccio leads the Florida lineup that also features junior Jessica Yadloczky and sophomore Evan Jensen. Four other players will play as individuals—seniors Lauren Uzelatz and Nicole Schachner, sophomore Andrea Watts and freshman Megan Pak. Over the years, eight Gators have been the tournament’s medalist.
Among the teams joining 10th-ranked Florida are No. 15 Michigan State, No. 20 Texas A&M, No. 22 Florida State, No. 40 Notre Dame, No. 42 Georgia State and No. 50 Chattanooga. Others in the field are Florida schools Florida Atlantic, FIU, UCF and South Florida.
The teams play 36 holes Saturday and complete the tournament with 18 holes on Sunday beginning at 8:30 a.m.
SUNTRUST GATOR WOMEN’S INVITATIONAL
When: Saturday-Sunday, April 10-11, 2010.
Where: Par-70, 6,002-yard Mark Bostick Golf Course, Gainesville.
Format: 36 holes Saturday, 18 holes Sunday.
Field: (10) Florida, (15) Michigan State, (20) Texas A&M, (22) Florida State, (40) Notre Dame, (42) Georgia State, (50) Chattanooga, (64) Nebraska, (71) UCF, (72) UNC-Greensboro, (84) South Florida, (142) Georgetown, (144) Florida Atlantic, Florida International.
Top individuals: (18) Julia Boland (Texas A&M), (24) Laura Kueny (Michigan State), (44) Macarena Silva (Florida State), (49) Isabelle Lendl (Florida), (54) Marika Lendl (Florida), (58) Evan Jensen (Florida), (62) Emma De Groot (Chattanooga), (63) Sarah Zwartynski (Texas A&M), (71) Becca Huffer (Notre Dame), (75) Aimee Neff (Michigan State), (82) Annie Brophy (Notre Dame), (84) Lacey Agnew (Florida State), (97) Caroline Powers (Michigan State).
POLLS
GOLFWEEK/SAGARIN RANKINGS
1. Arizona State; 2 UCLA; 3. Auburn; 4. Duke; 5. Pepperdine; 6. Southern California; 7. Alabama; 8. Arizona; 9. Purdue; 10. Florida;
11. California; 12. Stanford; 13. Wake Forest; 14. Tennessee; 15. Michigan State; 16. Georgia; 17. Denver; 18. Louisiana State; 19. Virginia; 20. Texas A&M;
21. Ohio State; 22. Florida State; 23. Vanderbilt; 24. New Mexico; 25. Texas Christian; 26. South Carolina; 27. Tulane; 28. North Carolina; 29. UC Davis; 30. Kent State;
31. Louisville; 32. Oklahoma State; 33. Arkansas; 34. Texas; 35. Washington; 36. Oregon; 37. UNLV; 38. Northwestern; 39. San Jose State; 40. Notre Dame;
41. San Francisco; 42. Georgia State; 43. San Diego State; 44. Furman; 45. Tulsa; 46. UC Irvine; 47. Mississippi; 48. Texas Tech; 49. East Tennessee State; 50. Chattanooga.
GOLF WORLD/NATIONAL GOLF COACHES ASSOCIATION
1. Arizona State; 2. UCLA; 3. Auburn; 4. Southern California; 5. Duke; 6. Alabama; 7. Pepperdine; 8. Arizona; 9. Purdue; 10. Florida; 11. Tennessee; 12. Michigan State; 13. Wake Forest; 14. Georgia; 15. Stanford; 16. California; 17. Virginia; 18. Denver; 19. Louisiana State; 20. Texas A&M; 21. Vanderbilt; 22. Ohio State; 23. Texas Christian; 24. New Mexico; 25. UC Davis; 26. Oklahoma State; 27. Florida State; 28. North Carolina; 29. Louisville; 30. Georgia State; 31. (tie) Tulane and UCF; 33. South Carolina; 34. Kent State; 35. UC Irvine; 36. Washington; 37. Ohio; 38. (tie) Idaho and Texas; 40. Chattanooga; 41. San Jose State; 42. Arkansas-Little Rock.