FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA COMMUNICATIONS
Tuesday Feb. 4, 2025
CONTACT: Matthew Hutchison, 314-609-5352
Francisco leads Florida in 5th place finish at Therese Hession Regional Challenge
Paula Francisco had a three-round score of 1-under 212 and a final round of 2-under 69.
PALOS VERDES, Calif. – Paula Francisco led the Florida women’s golf team to a 5th place finish at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge on Tuesday.
It marked the Gators sixth top-5 finish of the season, adding to three wins and a pair of 4th place outings to start the fall season. Florida’s final round of 9-over 293, snapped an eight consecutive round streak of par or better to total a final three round score of 857 (+5). USC won the event finishing 9-under.
Francisco secured a T6 outing at 1-under 212, marking her third straight top-13 (T3 & T13). She was one of only six golfers to finish under-par across 54-holes. The sophomore shot back-to-back rounds of under par with a 2-under 69 in the final round, her seventh of the season, one back of the team-high eight from Addison Klonowski. Across Francisco’s final 36-holes she made six birdies, 27 pars and only three bogeys.
Logging her team-best fifth top-25 in as many stroke play events, Klonowski tied for 21st. She had a tournament score of 4-over 213.
A pair of UF golfers in Inès Archer (+5) and Siuue Wu (+5) both tied for 27th while Elaine Widjaja (+11) rounded out the lineup in T59 and Sophie Stevens (+15), who competed as an individual in this event, tied for 72nd.
UF will resume play in two weeks after two tournaments in seven days with a trip to Great Waters Golf Course for the Lake Oconee Invitational Feb. 21-23. Following the third spring event, Florida will host the Gators Invitational (March 7-9) at Mark Bostick Golf Course.
