Three UF Men's Golfers Named To 2008 All-SEC Teams
Monday, April 28, 2008 | Men's Golf
Three University of Florida men's golfers have been named to the 2008 All-Southeastern Conference Teams as part of the league office's annual men's golf awards announced on Monday.
Junior Billy Horschel (Grant, Fla.) was one of eight players who earned All-SEC First-Team honors. Horschel, who finished seventh at the 2008 SEC Championship, received first-team All-SEC recognition for the third time in his career. Horschel is tabbed as the 17th-best player in the nation by Golfweek, and he ranked second in the SEC in regular-season stroke average. His scoring average of 71.23 ranks fifth all-time in single-season school history.
“I am really pleased and happy for all three individuals,” UF head coach Buddy Alexander said. “They have been our best players this season and it is richly deserved. To make first team for the third year in a row is quite an accomplishment for Billy.”
Senior Manuel Villegas (Medellin, Colombia) and senior Tyler Brown (Jacksonville , Fla.) were named to the All-SEC Second-Team for the first time in their careers. Villegas and Brown also rank in the league's top-five in scoring average at fourth and fifth, respectively.
Villegas owns seven finishes in the top 20 or better this season with his best showing coming in a tie for third at the season-opening Inverness Invitational. Brown holds two top-10 finishes since becoming a pivotal part of the lineup to start the spring. He placed seventh at the John Hayt Invitational and recently shared 12th place at the SEC Championship.
“He's worked hard,” Alexander said of Villegas. “He was on course to do this last year but struggled a bit in the spring. This year, he has been very consistent and that has paid off because of his hard work. The same goes with Tyler. He kept grinding and working hard, and now he has something to show for it.”
The Gators await a bid to an NCAA Regional that will be announced on Monday, May 5. NCAA Regionals take place, May 15-17, at three host sites across the nation.
2008 SEC Men's Golf Awards
SEC COACH OF THE YEAR: Jay Seawell, Alabama
SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Joseph Sykora, Sr., Alabama
SEC GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Michael Thompson, Sr., Alabama
SEC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Harris English, Georgia
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC
Michael Thompson, Sr., Alabama
Billy Horschel, Jr., Florida
Adam Mitchell, Jr., Georgia
Jay Moseley, Sr., Auburn
George Bryan IV, So., South Carolina
Mark Anderson, Sr., South Carolina
Matthew Swan, Jr., Alabama
Hudson Swafford, So., Georgia
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC
Manuel Villegas, Sr., Florida
Harris English, Fr., Georgia
Tyler Brown, Sr., Florida
Russell Henley, Fr., Georgia
Andrew Landry, Jr., Arkansas
Jesse Speirs, Jr., Ole Miss
Mark Harrell, Sr., Alabama
Andy Winings, Jr., Kentucky
