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[FONT="]Behind a 2-under final-round score of 278, the 12th-ranked University of Florida men’s golf team completed a wire-to-wire finish and claimed its fifth straight SunTrust Gator Invitational victory on Sunday at the Mark Bostick Golf Course. The Gators completed the weekend with a 20-under 54-hole total of 820.
Florida State was the only other team in red figures with an 8-under 832 to take runner-up honors following a final-round 278 (-2). Mississippi State was third with a 2-over 842, UAB was fourth with a 4-over 844 and South Alabama was fifth with an 11-over 851.
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[FONT="]Florida has captured 17 out of the past 20 Gator Invitationals and now owns 22 titles in the 31-year history of the event. Florida’s five straight home tournament victories represents the longest streak of consecutive Gator Invite wins since the Gators claimed nine straight from 1989-97. The win was also Florida’s first since claiming the 2007 Gator Invitational. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“It would be easy to say it is not a big deal to win the Gator (Invitational) again, but this is a young team that is learning how to win,” said UF head coach Buddy Alexander. “I think they did that pretty emphatically today, and I am excited and proud of them.”
The Gators’ total of 820 (-20) represented the third-lowest tournament score in school history and the lowest since the 2001 team posted a 30-under 810 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course. Sunday’s figure was a sharp contrast to the 10-over 850 that won the event a year ago. The 12-shot win was the largest margin of victory since the course underwent a major renovation in 2001.
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[FONT="]Duke’s Michael Schachner and UAB’s Zach Sucher shared individual medalist honors with a 7-under 203. Schachner posted a final-round 67 and finished up on the ninth green while Sucher was still on the course. Sucher went to the 18th tee with a one- shot lead, but he took a bogey five on the final hole to finish at 7-under.
Upon the coaches, players and officials consent, both were crowned co-individual medalists, a first in the prestigious history of the tournament.
Florida took a 12-shot lead into the final day and maintained that advantage behind two under-par scorecards. Weather conditions were similar to Saturday’s first two rounds, but tougher pin positions put birdies at a premium. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Sophomore Tyson Alexander (Gainesville, Fla.) capped a career-best weekend with a final round 2-under 68 to take third place. His 54-hole total of 204 (-6) bested his previous career-low of 214 set at the 2007 Puerto Rico Classic. Alexander’s previous best finish was a tie for 12th at that event.
Alexander, who shot rounds of 66 and 70 on Saturday, played his first nine holes on Sunday at 2-under. He held the lead after rolling in birdies on 12 and 17 but finished with a double-bogey six on 18. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“He’s come a long way in the last eight months,” said Alexander of his son. “He’s a guy that I am pretty confident having in my lineup right now. Being just a sophomore, he should continue to get better. He’s become a pretty good putter and that is the main thing that has improved in his game. He should develop into a pretty good college player.”
Junior Billy Horschel (Grant, Fla.) earned his second top-five finish of the season with an even-par 70 on Sunday. Horschel finished at 5-under 205 after posting rounds of 67 and 68 on the first day. He played his final seven holes at 2-under with birdies on 12 and 16 to atone for consecutive bogeys to start the back nine. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Freshman Bank Vongvanij (Bradenton, Fla.), playing as an individual, registered the first top-10 placing of his career. After firing rounds of 68 and 67 on Saturday, Vongvanij closed with a 3-over 73 to earn a share of ninth place. He finished with a 54-hole total of 208 (-2). [/FONT]
[FONT="]Senior Manuel Villegas (Medellin, Colombia) carded a 1-over 71 to finish in a tie for 12th place. Villegas’ cumulative score of 1-under 209 tied for his lowest of the season. Junior Will Strickler (Charlottesville, Va.) finished in a tie for 17th behind a 1-under 69. Strickler’s 54-hole even-par tally of 210 was the lowest of his career.
“Will Strickler is getting better, and I am excited to see him bounce back after his first round,” said Alexander. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Senior Tyler Brown (Jacksonville, Fla.) finished in a tie for 19th place with a 3-over 73 that put him at 1-over 211 for the tournament. Junior Toby Ragland (Jacksonville, Fla.), UF’s No. 5 starter, claimed a share of 26th place after a two-day total of 214 (+4).
Florida hopes to continue its winning ways as the Gators return to action at the John Hayt Invitational, Feb. 17-19, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The tournament will be hosted by North Florida at the par-72 Sawgrass Country Club.
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Florida State was the only other team in red figures with an 8-under 832 to take runner-up honors following a final-round 278 (-2). Mississippi State was third with a 2-over 842, UAB was fourth with a 4-over 844 and South Alabama was fifth with an 11-over 851.
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[FONT="]Florida has captured 17 out of the past 20 Gator Invitationals and now owns 22 titles in the 31-year history of the event. Florida’s five straight home tournament victories represents the longest streak of consecutive Gator Invite wins since the Gators claimed nine straight from 1989-97. The win was also Florida’s first since claiming the 2007 Gator Invitational. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“It would be easy to say it is not a big deal to win the Gator (Invitational) again, but this is a young team that is learning how to win,” said UF head coach Buddy Alexander. “I think they did that pretty emphatically today, and I am excited and proud of them.”
The Gators’ total of 820 (-20) represented the third-lowest tournament score in school history and the lowest since the 2001 team posted a 30-under 810 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course. Sunday’s figure was a sharp contrast to the 10-over 850 that won the event a year ago. The 12-shot win was the largest margin of victory since the course underwent a major renovation in 2001.
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[FONT="]Duke’s Michael Schachner and UAB’s Zach Sucher shared individual medalist honors with a 7-under 203. Schachner posted a final-round 67 and finished up on the ninth green while Sucher was still on the course. Sucher went to the 18th tee with a one- shot lead, but he took a bogey five on the final hole to finish at 7-under.
Upon the coaches, players and officials consent, both were crowned co-individual medalists, a first in the prestigious history of the tournament.
Florida took a 12-shot lead into the final day and maintained that advantage behind two under-par scorecards. Weather conditions were similar to Saturday’s first two rounds, but tougher pin positions put birdies at a premium. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Sophomore Tyson Alexander (Gainesville, Fla.) capped a career-best weekend with a final round 2-under 68 to take third place. His 54-hole total of 204 (-6) bested his previous career-low of 214 set at the 2007 Puerto Rico Classic. Alexander’s previous best finish was a tie for 12th at that event.
Alexander, who shot rounds of 66 and 70 on Saturday, played his first nine holes on Sunday at 2-under. He held the lead after rolling in birdies on 12 and 17 but finished with a double-bogey six on 18. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“He’s come a long way in the last eight months,” said Alexander of his son. “He’s a guy that I am pretty confident having in my lineup right now. Being just a sophomore, he should continue to get better. He’s become a pretty good putter and that is the main thing that has improved in his game. He should develop into a pretty good college player.”
Junior Billy Horschel (Grant, Fla.) earned his second top-five finish of the season with an even-par 70 on Sunday. Horschel finished at 5-under 205 after posting rounds of 67 and 68 on the first day. He played his final seven holes at 2-under with birdies on 12 and 16 to atone for consecutive bogeys to start the back nine. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Freshman Bank Vongvanij (Bradenton, Fla.), playing as an individual, registered the first top-10 placing of his career. After firing rounds of 68 and 67 on Saturday, Vongvanij closed with a 3-over 73 to earn a share of ninth place. He finished with a 54-hole total of 208 (-2). [/FONT]
[FONT="]Senior Manuel Villegas (Medellin, Colombia) carded a 1-over 71 to finish in a tie for 12th place. Villegas’ cumulative score of 1-under 209 tied for his lowest of the season. Junior Will Strickler (Charlottesville, Va.) finished in a tie for 17th behind a 1-under 69. Strickler’s 54-hole even-par tally of 210 was the lowest of his career.
“Will Strickler is getting better, and I am excited to see him bounce back after his first round,” said Alexander. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Senior Tyler Brown (Jacksonville, Fla.) finished in a tie for 19th place with a 3-over 73 that put him at 1-over 211 for the tournament. Junior Toby Ragland (Jacksonville, Fla.), UF’s No. 5 starter, claimed a share of 26th place after a two-day total of 214 (+4).
Florida hopes to continue its winning ways as the Gators return to action at the John Hayt Invitational, Feb. 17-19, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The tournament will be hosted by North Florida at the par-72 Sawgrass Country Club.
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[FONT="]http://gatorzone.com/story.php?id=13345&html=golf/men/news/20080210062500.html&sport=golfm
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