Florida Gators

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Gators women's golf team concluded its season Monday at the NCAA Championships, highlighted by a runner-up finish from junior Sierra Brooks in the 132-player field.

With her overall tournament score of 4-under 215 at Blessings Golf Club, Brooks' second-place finish is the highest for a UF women's golfer at the NCAA Championships since Page Dunlap claimed the individual title for UF's back-to-back national championship team 33 years ago. Brooks had a less-than-ideal first round on Friday, turning in a 2-over 75 and sitting in 13th. She rebounded nicely in a weather-suspended second round that spanned two days, carding a score of 6-under 67 and seven birdies.
 
Brooks entered the final round on Monday in sole possession of first place by one stroke, ahead of Arkansas' Maria Fassi. Brooks had a morning tee time of 9:50 ET and Fassi, on her home course, didn't tee off until 1:39. With Brooks finishing play and carding an even-par for the round before Fassi even hit the turn, she became a sitting duck. Fassi finished her round with a tournament score of 8-under 211 and went 5-under in the final round. Fassi will begin her professional career on the LPGA next week at the U.S. Women's Open, where Brooks will be competing as an amateur.
 
Play ended up being suspended at 8:30 p.m. due to darkness and the remaining groups will finish in the morning. Based on unofficial scores, Florida finished in 10th place and missed the cut for match play by four strokes. The Gators will return the entire lineup, top to bottom, next season and hope to build off this momentum from a great run at the NCAA Championships.
 
Coach's Take
"We had a great season and a great run here in Arkansas. Everyone is disappointed because we know we had enough talent here this week to go deeper in the tournament. We just didn't have enough consistency in our roster top to bottom this week and the first round really hurt us. It's hard to recover from a round like that at the National Championship, especially after losing a day to weather. By no means do I want to take away from the year this group had. They played some great golf and had a tremendous amount of growth both on and off the golf course. Everyone from this team will return next year and I know they will be able to use the experiences of this week as fuel for next season." – Head Coach Emily Bastel Glaser
 
On Sierra Brooks' incredible finish…
"I'm incredibly proud of Sierra. She is the type of kid who is easy to root for because she works so hard and deserves all the accolades she gets. She leaves no stone unturned when it comes to being the best athlete she can be. She has accomplished so many great things this year but to watch her personal growth has been especially rewarding. This is an awesome way to end her season and prepare her for the U.S. Women's Open next week." – Coach Glaser
 
Player's Take
"Yeah, I was really pleased with all three rounds, especially on this golf course. It took all
the shots and it was a great test of golf. I think first round -- I just felt like I needed a round under my belt, especially under the conditions with the wind and after the first round, I got adjusted…Today I was out there playing for my team. It takes pressure off the individual title. Obviously, the goal coming in to this is to win as a team and to make the match play. We've worked hard all season to do that. Every round, those birdies are out there for my team." – Sierra Brooks
 
On playing under pressure in the final round…
"Just to be in that situation, experience those feelings, was something that I had not done in a while, so it was nice being in this situation today, I kind of knew how to handle it. I was much more prepared for the nerves and the tension that comes…It [the final round] was filled with a lot of highs and lows. I was able to build on a lot of momentum on the front nine. Came in at 2-under. Went to the back and started to get a little bit nervous. The wind picked up, but I felt like I kept my cool and I was able to bounce back after mistakes. The wind picked up and it played tough on me at the end."" - Brooks
 
Final Scores
Florida Players                                  R1           R2           R3           Total
2              Sierra Brooks (2)               75           67           73           215
T54         Clara Manzalini (5)           79           74           79           232
T90         Addie Baggarly (4)       86           75           77           238
T97         Marta Perez (3)                 81           84           75           240
T105       Elin Esborn (1)                   86           78           78           242