The Florida women’s golf team is set to host the VyStar Gators Invitational beginning on Saturday, March 7.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 9 Florida women’s golf team is set to host the 48th annual Gators Invitational presented by VyStar beginning on Saturday, March 7 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.
Format
Players will complete 54 holes of stroke play over two days of competition. The first two rounds will take place on Saturday, March 7 and begin at 8:15 a.m. ET while the final round is set to begin at 9 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8. All three rounds will be a shotgun format.
How to Follow
Fans are encouraged to come out to the course to watch, but updates throughout the tournament will also be provided on Golfstat.com and Twitter via @GatorsGolf. A complete recap with full results will be posted on FloridaGators.com following each day of play.
Course Information
The tournament is being played at the Par 70, 6,701 yards at Mark Bostick Golf Course. MBGC has served as the Gators’ home course since the 1960s and has been the home to the Gators Invitational since 1978.
The Field (Golfstat Rankings)
Campbell
Daytona State
FAU
FIU
No. 9 Florida
Kansas
No. 44 Michigan
No. 26 Virginia Tech
Tennessee
Penn State
No. 43 UCF
USF
Competing Gators
No. 1 – Clara Manzalini
No. 2 – Addie Baggarly
No. 3 – Marina Escobar
No. 4 – Marta Perez
No. 5 – Annabell Fuller
Ind. – Elin Esborn
Ind. – Carlotta Ricolfi
Ind. – Jenny Kim
Ind. – Lauren Waidner
Tournament History
This is the Gators’ 48th year hosting the Gators Invitational. Florida has captured the title 22 times on its home track, including five times under head coach Emily Glaser.
Last season, the Gators claimed the team title by five strokes, extending their tournament winning streak to four in a row. UF posted the lowest team score in tournament history with a 2-under 838. Addie Baggarly was the Gators’ top finisher, tying for second at 3-under 207.
Last Time Out
The Gators claimed their first win of the spring season at the Allstate Sugar Bowl by a commanding 16 strokes. Clara Manzalini led the way for the Gators as she claimed a share of the individual title at 7-under par.
Florida’s win in New Orleans was a complete team effort as all five players in the Gators’ lineup finished within the top-15 individually. Florida shot a final-round 11 under to finish with a tournament total of 23-under 853.
Manzalini played steady during the first two rounds of the tournament, but hit her stride through the final 18 holes. The sophomore fired off a blemish-free 6-under 67 in the last round to secure the first individual collegiate win of her career.
Addie Baggarly also had a solid tournament in the Big Easy, tying for third. Baggarly shot under par all three rounds, turning in a 72-71-71 to finish at 5-under 214 collectively. The junior’s steady outing marks her lowest tournament score of the season.
Freshman Marina Escobar notched the first top-10 finish of her collegiate career, tying for eighth after shooting 1 under in the final round. This is also the first event as a Gator that Escobar has finished under par as she totaled 3-under 215 through all 54 holes.
Marta Perez signed a 2-under 71 in the final round to put her at 3 under overall and in a tie for 10th individually. Perez’s tie for 10th marks the 13th top-10 finish of her career and second of the season.
In her second tournament in a Florida uniform, newcomer Annabell Fuller finished 2-under par, putting her in a tie for 14th individually.
Coming Up
The Gators travel to Athens, Ga., for the Liz Murphey Invitational. Hosted by the University of Georgia, the three-day event is scheduled to run from Friday, March 20 to Sunday, March 22.
