Gators Freshman Tomlinson Feels Right at Home Entering SunTrust Invitational
Thursday, March 5, 2015 | Women's Golf
By Britnee McCoy
GatorZone.com Writing Intern
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As she grew up at a country club in a family of golfers, Taylor Tomlinson didn't have much choice but to get out there and play the game.
Both of Tomlinson's parents are prominent in the sport. They played in college and anything below average is unacceptable. A freshman on the Florida women's golf team, Tomlinson spent much of her youth at Gainesville Country Club along with her older brother J.D. Tomlinson, a senior on the UF men's team.
At the SunTrust Gator Invitational starting Friday, Taylor will try to do what J.D. did at the men's SunTrust: contend for the title. J.D. finished tied for second last month in the men's event.
This is the UF women's team's only home tournament of the season and Tomlinson is anxious to play in front of her family and community.
As a little girl Tomlinson used to run down to the course and watch her parents play. She said she was always ready to grab a club and take a swing. The Tomlinsons love their golf and Taylor and her mom often played against J.D. and her dad.
“We definitely have some healthy competitions going on between us, especially between my brother and me,'' Taylor said. “We've been competing our entire lives. But it's all out of love and to make each other better.”
Tomlinson strayed away from the game for a while. She came across another sport that really caught her eye.
Tomlinson played basketball in middle and high school, and she said her parents had no issues with her two-sport status. Tomlinson was a standout player at Oak Hall School. She played golf and basketball so she never really experienced an offseason.
Her golf game blossomed over time.
Tomlinson was named the 2012 and 2013 Gainesville Sun Women's Golfer of the Year, and she holds the women's 18-hole record at Ironwood Golf Course in Gainesville, and led Oak Hall in scoring in every match of her senior year.
On the collegiate level, being able to go home as frequently as you want and having support from your close family is rare.
But for Tomlinson that was one of the most important reasons for her decision to attend the University of Florida. She gets to go home on the weekends to eat and hang out with her parents and brother, and she also goes to get pointers from her parents about her swing and other aspects of the game.
And even when she's playing a match out of town, they are always one phone call away.
“I remember my first tournament in college I wasn't nervous” said Tomlinson. “There was just a lot of emotion. I was just so excited to play for the Gators. My teammates and my family helped me relax and I performed well.”
But Friday will be another emotional challenge for Tomlinson. The Gators host the 43rd annual SunTrust Invitational where 14 teams will be competing. The tournament is her first at the college level that her entire family and friends in the Gainesville community will able to attend.
“I feel like there's more pressure playing at home,'' she said. “I'm looking forward to the crowd and to get to see my community support me like they did back I high school.”
Florida head coach Emily Glaser is also excited about competing at home for the first and only time this season
“It's an exciting week for our team and we're looking forward to being able to play at home in front of our fans, family, friends and boosters,” Glaser said. “We're excited to get the tournament started. The golf course is in great shape, which is exciting for us. We'll have some good practice out there this week to get rolling and get acclimated with how the course is going to play over the weekend.”
The tournament begins Friday; tee time is set for 9 a.m.
Tomlinson's family is well aware.
