Alabama
The Gator Invitational
Alabama Finishes in Sixth Overall at The Gators Invitational
2/13/2021 9:28:00 PM | Men's Golf
The Crimson Tide shoots a final round of 10-under par 270 to end the 54-hole event at 17-under par 823
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 17 Alabama men's golf team concluded play at the Gators Invitational on Saturday afternoon, closing the 54-hole event with a team score of 17-under par 823 (276-277-270). Despite battling inclement weather and delays on Saturday, the Crimson Tide carded a final round of 10-under par, which the second-best score by any team in the tournament's final 18 holes.
Tournament host No. 19 Florida carded a 15-under par in the third round on the way to claiming the team championship with a 29-under par 811, finishing five strokes better than No. 6 Georgia (824) and No. 13 Auburn (824). LSU, ranked No. 26, placed fourth at 21-under par 819, while No. 29 Liberty rounded out the top five with an 820. In all, 13 of the 21 teams in the event are ranked in the top-40 of the latest Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll.
The tournament was played on the par 70, 6,701-yard Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla.
Head Coach Jay Seawell Comments
- "There are a lot of things to be encouraged about. I thought the guys did a really good job, especially (Saturday). I wanted to see how we would perform in the first tournament and there were a lot of things I thought we did well. That being said, we have a long way to go. We have to get a lot better to get ourselves to that next level. I think we are a good team but to become a special team we have a lot of work to do. We look forward to getting back to work so we're ready to compete at our next tournament at LSU."
- "We had a lot of adversity this week because we had to try and squeeze three rounds into two. You're adjusting on the fly and doing everything you can to make the tournament work. I thought our guys handled it well. I'm proud of how our guys have handled all the adversity, not just during this tournament but really all year. This team really tends to handle that well and it was no different this weekend."
Highlights
- Wilson Furr paced the Crimson Tide as he finished at 6-under par 210 (67-70-67) across the 54-hole event and tied for 11th overall
- Furr now has five rounds in the 60s this year dating back to the fall season and nine rounds of par or better in 2020-21, both of which lead the team
- Thomas Ponder matched Furr with a pair of rounds in the 60s and finished tied for 28th overall at 3-under par 207 (68-74-65)
- Ponder carded a final round of 65 which matched his career-best mark for 18 holes for his career, which he set last fall at the Vanderbilt Legends Classic
The Rest Of The Lineup
- JP Cave had the best showing of his young career as he tied for 35th overall with a 54-hole total of 2-under par 208 (70-70-68)
- Cave carded the only eagle by any Alabama player, which came on the par 565-yard seventh hole
- Canon Claycomb tied for 42nd overall at 1-under par 209 (71-68-70), while Davis Shore shot event par 210 and tied for 48th
- Simms Abney also competed in the tournament as an individual, finishing with a 221 (75-74-72)
Fun Fact
- The tournament was originally scheduled for 18 holes over three days, however, the teams had to play 30 holes on Friday and 24 on Saturday to avoid a bleak weather forecast on Sunday
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Players Mentioned
