Florida Gators
Old Waverly Collegiate Championship
Gators Post Season-Low Score, Finish Second at Old Waverly
Tuesday, April 7, 2015 | Men's Golf
WEST POINT, Miss. – The University of Florida men's golf team carded its best score of the year to finish runner-up at the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship. UF placed a pair of Gators in the top five on Tuesday.
The Gators combined to record a 13-under 851, the squad's best to-par outing of the year by seven strokes. Florida's score in Round 2, a 10-under 278, was its best round of the year, and the second-place finish at Old Waverly Golf Club marked the team's fourth runner-up performance this year.
J.D. Tomlinson posted rounds of 70-69-70 to collect his third top-five finish of the year. He finished fourth with a total score of -7 (209). The Old Waverly Collegiate Championship marked his fifth-straight tournament as the Orange and Blue's top finisher.
Eric Banks recorded the best tournament score of his career at Old Waverly, shooting a 6-under 210. His Round 2 score of 68 tied his career-best round.
Ryan Orr and Alejandro Tosti both contributed even-par scores of 216 to tie for 18th place.
UAB won the event, shooting a 14-under 850 to edge out Florida by one stroke. Casey Fernandez from Southern Miss captured the individual title with a score of 11-under 205.
Assistant Coach John Handrigan:
On the team's performance:
“The guys played well. The best part about this whole trip was that the guys worked their butts off out there. They really worked hard and played hard. Obviously, everybody wants to win, but it's not always about winning. It's about us getting better. This week, every player in our group was playing better. We're heading into SECs, so it's a good feeling knowing that we're peaking at the right time”
On seniors Eric Banks' and J.D. Tomlinson's top-five finishes:
“I've seen these guys play for four years, so it's great seeing them improve the way they have over those four years. Eric Banks had probably his best finish as a Gator, and it was great to see that happen.”
The Orange and Blue Crew:
| Old Waverly Collegiate Championship – Final Florida Players | ||
| Place | Player | Score |
| 4 | -7 (70-69-70-209) | |
| T5 | -6 (69-68-73-210) | |
| T18 | E (75-71-70-216) | |
| T18 | E (75-70-71-216) | |
| T45 | +7 (76-73-74-223) | |
Tournament Field Results:
| Old Waverly Collegiate Championship – Final Team Scores | ||
| Place | Team | Score |
| 1 | UAB | -14 (285-279-286-850) |
| 2 | FLORIDA | -13 (289-278-284-851) |
| 3 | Ole Miss | -8 (286-284-286-856) |
| 4 | Mississippi State | +3 (287-289-291-867) |
| 5 | Southeastern Louisiana | +5 (298-277-294-869) |
| 6 | Memphis | +8 (297-289-286-872) |
| T7 | Chattanooga | +11 (293-292-290-875) |
| T7 | Kansas | +11 (289-295-291-875) |
| 9 | UNC-Greensboro | +13 (299-286-292-877) |
| 10 | South Alabama | +16 (291-293-296-880) |
| 11 | Cincinnati | +17 (289-293-299-881) |
| 12 | Louisiana Tech | +19 (301-291-291-883) |
| 13 | Troy | +20 (300-291-293-884) |
| 14 | Southern Miss | +21 (303-298-284-885) |
| 15 | Louisiana-Lafayette | +26 (297-290-303-890) |
| Old Waverly Collegiate Championship – Final Individual Top 10 | ||
| Place | Player (School) | Score |
| 1 | Casey Fernandez (Southern Miss) | -11 (71-68-66-205) |
| 2 | Blake Morris (Ole Miss) | -10 (70-68-68-206) |
| 3 | Lee Hodges (UAB) | -9 (68-68-71-207) |
| 4 | JD Tomlinson (Florida) | -7 (70-69-70-209) |
| T5 | Eric Banks (Florida) | -6 (69-68-73-210) |
| T5 | Ben Wolcott (Ole Miss) | -6 (71-70-69-210) |
| T5 | Roy Dixon (UNC-Greensboro) | -6 (73-65-72-210) |
| T8 | Liam Johnston (Chattanooga) | -5 (70-72-69-211) |
| T8 | Johnny Newnham (Mississippi State) | -5 (71-72-68-211) |
| T8 | Tyler Klava (South Alabama) | -5 (70-68-73-211) |
Follow the Gators: Florida returns to action April 17-19 for the SEC Championship, which will be held at the Sea Island Golf Club Seaside Course in St. Simons Island, Ga.
For complete coverage of the Gators' men's golf program, visit GatorZone.com, follow @GatorZoneGolf on Twitter and 'like' the University of Florida Men's Golf page on Facebook.
