Men’s golf in 4th at SEC Championships

The No. 23 University of Florida men’s golf team shot a second round 278 (-2) to sit at 561 (+1) through two days of the SEC Championships at Sea Island Golf Club. The Gators, who were one of only two teams under par on the day, trail Alabama by 15 strokes heading into the final round.

“As a team we let a good opportunity get away from us today,” said head coach Buddy Alexander. “We got off to a great start but weren’t able to keep up the momentum. We probably needed to put together a round of somewhere around eight or ten under to get back into it today, and with the start we had I thought that was a possibility, but it just didn’t happen. Alabama needs to do some serious backing up for us, or anyone, to catch them. They’ve been playing great golf.”

Freshman J.D. Tomlinson (Gainesville, Fla.) led the Gators on the day firing a two-under, 68. Tomlinson got off to a hot start on the day making a birdie on the par-4 first. Tomlinson kept the momentum going with a pair of birdies on the par-4 fifth and the par-5 seventh. After giving a stroke back on the par-4 eighth, Tomlinson made a par on the ninth to make the turn in two under, 33. On the back nine, Tomlinson balanced a birdie and a bogey to post the 68, his eighth round at or under par on the season.

Joining Tomlinson in the red on the day was junior Tyler McCumber (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) who shot a 69 (-1). After starting the day with eight consecutive pars, McCumber made a birdie on the par-4 ninth. After a bogey on the par-3 12th dropped him back to even par, McCumber added another birdie on the par-4 16th to get back to one-under, where he ended the day. For the tournament, McCumber is tied for eighth at one-under, five strokes back of Bobby Wyatt of Alabama and Rick Lamb of Tennessee.

For the championships, junior T.J. Vogel (Cooper City, Fla.) paces the Gators on the individual leaderboard sitting at three-under after a second round 70 (E), good for fourth place. Vogel used a pair of birdies countered by two bogeys in his second round to card his 17th round of par or better on the year.

Senior Michael Furci (Sayville, N.Y.) had his round of one-over count for the Orange and Blue. Furci used four birdies countered by a bogey and two doubles to post his 71.

Freshman Eric Banks (Truro, Canada) rounded out the Gators in the field with a second day 76 (+6).

“We just have to go out tomorrow and do the best we can and try to get better,” said Alexander.

Courtesy UF Communications