Florida rallied on the back nine to capture the team title as six Gators placed in the top-18.
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Florida women’s golf team won the 2023 Glass City Invitational on Tuesday, marking their first victory of the season and winning by six shots.
The Gators led throughout day one and teed off today in the lead after round two was stopped due to darkness yesterday. After a bumpy start in round three that had Florida dropping as far down as 4th, UF rallied on the back nine, shooting 2-under to leap back and secure the team title.
Florida’s strong final round of 289 (+1) was its second of the tournament as it posted the same in the opening round to finish with a team score of 868 (+4). Six Gators placed in the top-18, led by tied for runner-up in Maisie Filler. The victory marked its second at the event after winning in 2019 and the 29th career under head coach Emily Glaser in her 13th year.
Recording her 4th career runner-up outing, Filler shot all three rounds even par or better (70-72-70). She finished 4-under overall and just four shots back of the individual winner. Her birdies on 16 started a run of bogey-free golf over the next seven holes (teed off on hole 5) with three birdies in Florida’s late-round comeback.
Owing the team’s lowest round of the week was Jackie Lucena, who was competing as an individual and had a 3-under 69 final round. She had two streaks of back-to-back birdies (8-9, 16-17) as she combined for 5-under in her final two sets of 18 (70-69) to place 5th at 3-under.
Freshman Sophie Stevens, who was playing the No. 1 spot, had another top-15 in her second career tournament with a T7 finish. She had a great approach shot on 15 (par-4, 389) that setup for birdie, which she followed with another on 16 to shoot a 72 (E) and finish even overall.
Following their teammate and fellow first-year, Inès Archer and Paula Francisco (Indv.), placed 17 and T18. The duo each flashed on Inverness Club as Archer made an impressive downhill birdie putt on 17 in the midst of the Gators’ final-round charge. Francisco highlighted the opening round with a hole-in-one on hole 3 (par-3, 168).
Annabell Fuller followed Filler with starting the comeback going birdie-par-birdie on 16 and 18 with three more pars to finish the front. The senior was the third Gator to place in the top-10 with a T9 finish.
Rounding out the lineup was Marina Escobar in T35. She bounced back in her final round with a 72 (+2) that featured an eagle on 13 (par-5, 495), a eight shot improvement from round two.
Florida travels to the Tar Heel Invitational from Oct. 9-10 before wrapping up the season finale at The Ally (Oct. 23-25).
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