Florida Women’s Golf Heads to the Big Easy for Third Tournament of the Spring

Sunday, February 21

New Orleans, LA

Florida Gators

Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship

Maria Torres

Florida Women’s Golf Heads to the Big Easy for Third Tournament of the Spring

Friday, February 19, 2016 | Women's Golf

By: Brianne Wigley

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 11 Gator women's golf team is on the road again, this time heading to New Orleans, La., to compete at the 2016 Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate. The three-day tournament at the par-72, 6,239-yard English Turn Golf Club features six of Golfweek's top-25 teams.

Last time on the links, head coach Emily Glaser's squad turned in an impressive third-place finish in a tough 16-team field at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif. Heading into the 2016 Allstate Sugar Bowl event, Taylor Tomlinson and Maria Torres own the lowest scoring averages on the team of 72.29.

At the 2015 event, the Gators matched their season-low score of 288 to tie for second place, with three Gators landing in the top-10. Then-freshman Tomlinson brings experience to New Orleans, as she finished sixth last year, while then-sophomore Torres shared seventh place.

Course Information: The tournament is being held at the par-72, 6,239-yard English Turn Golf Club, in New Orleans, La.

Format: 54-hole stroke play, where teams will play three rounds, 18 holes each day.

Tee Times:
Sunday Rd. 1 – 9 a.m. Tee times off of No. 1 and No. 10
Monday Rd. 2 – 9 a.m. Tee times off of No. 1 and No. 10
Tuesday Rd. 3 – 8 a.m. Shotgun start

The Gators' Lineup:
Junior Karolina Vlckova (Unhošt, Czech Republic): Vlckova secured her third top-10 finish of the season at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, tying for 10th by recording rounds of 72-72-72.

Sophomore Taylor Tomlinson (Gainesville, Fla.): Following her performances at the Florida Challenge (T1) and the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge (T20), she was named the SEC Golfer of the Week.

Junior Maria Torres (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico): Excluding the Windy City Collegiate, Torres has yet to finish outside of the top-15 in an event this season, she last finished tied for 13th at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge.

Freshman Sam Wagner (Windermere, Fla.): The freshman was a huge part of the Gators' third-place team finish at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, where she tied for 20th at +8 (221).

Junior Kelly Grassel (Chesterton, Ind.): Locked down her first individual collegiate title at the Florida Challenge, the junior boasts a 73.36 scoring average.

Head Coach Emily Glaser Says: "Obviously, we are pleased with the team effort over the last few weeks. On the golf course we have been pretty consistent, but off of the golf course it's been even more rewarding to see our team start to believe in themselves, and believe in who they can be as a team. This week in New Orleans, we will try and make adjustments from the things we learned in California. It's also important we concentrate on this event, and not look ahead or behind. We need to focus on getting a little better each day, and that is the goal in New Orleans."

Tournament Field (Golfweek rankings as of Feb. 15, 2016):
Alabama (7)
Arizona (12)
Clemson
Denver
FLORIDA (11)
LSU
Miami
Michigan State
Mississippi State
Oklahoma State (13)
Stanford (2)
Texas
Tulane (host)
UC Davis
UCF
UCLA (4)
Virginia

Follow the Gators: Play will begin on Sunday, Feb. 21, with live scoring available on Golfstat.com. A complete recap with full results will be posted on FloridaGators.com following the day's play.

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