Florida Gators
NCAA Regional Championship
Florida Men’s Golf Tied for Fourth Entering Final Round of NCAA Regional
Friday, May 15, 2015 | Men's Golf
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – With one round remaining to determine the five teams advancing to the NCAA Championship, the University of Florida men's golf team is holding down a shared fourth-place spot in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional.
The Gators combined to post a 4-over 292 in second-round action on Friday. Their 36-hole total is 3-under 573, and they trail third-place Florida State by three strokes.
A.J. Crouch shot even (72) on Thursday to move up into a tie for sixth place. Crouch's total of 3-under 141 is his best 36-hole start in relation to par all season.
J.D. Tomlinson shot a 1-over 73 Friday, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 17th hole. He's tied for 13th. Ryan Celano carded a 3-over 75 and sits in a shared 22nd place with an even-par 144.
Eric Banks was the only Gator to improve on his first-round score. He shot even (72) in Round 2, totaling a score of +6 (150). After recording a 5-over 77 in the second round, Ryan Orr also totaled +6 (150).
Stanford posted a 13-under 275 Thursday to improve six places and take the lead. With a score of 8-under 136, Western Carolina's J.T. Poston holds the top spot on the individual side.
Florida looks to secure a bid to the NCAA Championship when it returns to the UNC Finley Golf Course on Saturday for the NCAA Regional Championship's final round. Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m., and the Gators start teeing off at 7:50 a.m. At the conclusion of the tournament, the low five teams and the low individual from a non-advancing team will advance to the NCAA Championship.
Head Coach JC Deacon:
On the Gators' performance in the second round:
“We kind of struggled from the start. We had some bogeys early and some wayward shots early, and we fought back. It was just one of those days where we weren't really sharp, but our position is great. We're right where we want to be, and we're one day away from realizing a pretty big dream for all of us.”
On his thoughts entering the final Saturday:
“It's a huge day, and you can't ignore that. It's a big day, and it's why we work hard. It's why we get up early in the morning all year long and spend those late nights at the golf course. It's why we practice and put all this time in so we're ready for days like tomorrow. I'm really excited for the guys giving themselves a chance, and I can't wait to go out there and watch tomorrow.”
The Orange and Blue Crew:
| NCAA Chapel Hill Regional Championship – Florida Players After Round 2 | ||
| Place | Player | Score |
| T6. | -3 (69-72-141) | |
| T13. | -1 (70-73-143) | |
| T22. | E (69-75-144) | |
| T60. | +6 (78-72-150) | |
| T60. | +6 (73-77-150) | |
Tournament Field Results:
| NCAA Chapel Hill Regional Championship – | ||
| Place | Team | Score |
| 1. | Stanford | -11 (290-275-565) |
| 2. | Charlotte | -10 (275-291-566) |
| 3. | Florida State | -6 (284-286-570) |
| T4. | FLORIDA | -3 (281-292-573) |
| T4. | Kennesaw State | -3 (287-286-573) |
| T6. | Clemson | -1 (284-291-575) |
| T6. | North Carolina | -1 (286-289-575) |
| 8. | GRU Augusta | +2 (292-286-578) |
| 9. | McNeese State | +4 (296-284-580) |
| 10. | Wake Forest | +6 (294-288-582) |
| 11. | Penn State | +14 (292-298-590) |
| 12. | Loyola University – Maryland | +17 (300-293-593) |
| 13. | Miami (OH) | +18 (297-297-594) |
| NCAA Chapel Hill Regional Championship – | ||
| Place | Player (School) | Score |
| 1. | J.T. Poston (Western Carolina) | -8 (68-68-136) |
| 2. | Maverick McNealy (Stanford) | -7 (70-67-137) |
| T3. | Ashton Van Horne (Belmont) | -5 (68-71-139) |
| T3. | Jack Maguire (Florida State) | -5 (70-69-139) |
| 5. | Austin Langdale (Clemson) | -4 (72-68-140) |
| T6. | Seth Gandy (Charlotte) | -3 (68-73-141) |
| T6. | Billy Kennerly (Clemson) | -3 (67-74-141) |
| T6. | A.J. Crouch (Florida) | -3 (69-72-141) |
| T6. | Jimmy Beck (Kennesaw State) | -3 (71-70-141) |
| T6. | Will Zalatoris (Wake Forest) | -3 (70-71-141) |
Follow the Gators: NCAA Regional Championship play continues Saturday at the UNC Finley Golf Course, where Round 3 tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. Live scoring will be available on GolfStat.com, and a complete recap with full results will be posted on GatorZone.com following the day's play.
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.
