The Gators sit in third in a field that features nine of the top-35 teams at the Southern Highlands Collegiate.
LAS VEGAS – The Florida men’s golf team finished 13-under on day one of the Southern Highlands Collegiate to sit in third in a field that features nine of the top-35 teams on Sunday.
After a frost delay to start the day, the Gators were hot on the course with a combined 30 birdies and an eagle. The overall score of 275 (-13) is tied for the third-lowest mark this season as no UF golfer shot over par. Florida trails the defending National Champions and No. 5 Pepperdine by two strokes and last year’s National Runner-Up and No. 1 Oklahoma by seven.
Fred Biondi (T2) fired his fourth straight round in the 60s with a 66 (-6) in round one and sank a team-high and tournament-leading nine birdies. The native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, last posted a 66 in round two of the 2022 VyStar Gators Invitational.
Also finishing another round in the 60s, Ricky Castillo (T4) carded a 67 (-5) at Southern Highlands Golf Club. He has shot six (68-76-67-64-68-68-67) of his last seven rounds in the 60s starting back with a 68 (-2) in round one in the spring opener at TPC Sawgrass.
Both John DuBois (E) and Yuxin Lin (-1) converted on birdie opportunities on 18 to end T51 and T35. Making his season debut in the lineup, Quentin Debove used back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13 for a 1-under performance to tie with Lin at 35th.
Competing as an individual, Giovanni Manzoni set the tone as he was the first Gator to finish and went 4-under behind a clean front nine and an eagle on three to be tied for 11th.
The Gators tee off round two tomorrow at 1:40 p.m. ET.
Scores
Florida Individual
Place
Player
Round 1
T2
66 (-6)
T4
67 (-5)
T11
68 (-4)
T35
71 (-1)
T35
71 (-1)
T51
72 (E)
*Competing as an individual
Team Leaderboard
Place
Team
Round 1
1
Oklahoma
268 (-2)
2
Pepperdine
273 (-15)
3
Florida
275 (-13)
4
Georgia Tech
276 (-12)
T5
Georgia
280 (-8)
T5
TCU
280 (-8)
T5
New Mexico
280 (-8)
8
Texas
281 (-7)
T9
UCLA
282 (-6)
T9
UNLV
282 (-6)
T9
SMU
282 (-6)
12
Southern California
288 (E)
T13
Northwestern
291 (+3)
T13
Illinois
291 (+3)
15
San Diego
294 (+6)
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