UF Men’s Golf: Castillo Paces Gators on Day One in Gainesville
Press release from the University Athletic Association
The Gators have a 10-stroke lead entering the final round of the Gators Invitational presented by VyStar.
Highlighted by a 7-under 63 performance by freshman Ricky Castillo, the Florida men’s golf team holds a 10-stroke lead entering the final round of the Gators Invitational presented by VyStar.
The Gators were the only team to finish under par through the first 36 holes of the event. Reigning tournament champion Vanderbilt currently sits in second at 5 over.
Coming off of his first collegiate win, Castillo opened the Gators’ home tournament with another phenomenal performance. After shooting even through his first 18 holes, the freshman caught fire in the afternoon, firing off a second-round 7-under 63. Castillo’s career-low outing puts him in control of first place individually by one stroke.
John Axelsen continued his steady play for Florida to open the event. The Junior is currently tied for eighth at even par after shooting 1 over in round one and 1 under in round two.
Blake Dyer finished the day tied for 12th individually at 1 over. The senior was solid in the second round, signing an even-par 70, which included three birdies on the back nine.
Similar to Dyer, Chris Nido shot even in the second round. Nido’s even second-round performance puts him at 2 over overall and tied for 16th individually.
At the fifth spot in the lineup, Manny Girona shot a solid 1 over through his first 18 holes. However, a challenging afternoon put him at 11 over to finish the day.
UF also had seven individuals out on the course today: Fred Biondi, Quentin Debove, John DuBois, Robby Eisch, Eugene Hong, Christophe Stutts, and Aden Ye. Debove and DuBois led the group, as they finished even par and 1 over, respectively.
The final round of the Florida Gators Invitational presented by VyStar is set to begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. with Florida teeing off at 9:30 a.m. from hole one.
NOTABLE
* Ricky Castillo’s second-round 63 is a career low and ties for the lowest round by a freshman in program history
* 63 is also the second-lowest round in tournament history
* John DuBois’ 68 is a career low
* Quentin Debove’s 69 ties his career low
* Robby Eisch’s 71 is a career low
* Logan Perkins of West Virginia recorded the lowest round in tournament history with an 8-under 62 in the second round
Head Coach JC Deacon’s Take
On the team’s day-one performance…
“We are obviously in a great position heading into tomorrow’s final round. Exactly where we want to be and expect to be. All the things this team has been working on are showing up when we need them the most. We displayed an unbelievable amount of toughness throughout the day in some very challenging conditions. That’s exactly how we want to be defined this season. Not one guy gave in, and that led to some really great comebacks and scores.”
On tomorrow’s final round…
“Tomorrow is another fantastic opportunity for our guys to test themselves in a competitive environment. It’s a big deal for us to play at home in front family and friends. If we can go out and focus intensely on what we can control, it will be a special day for Gator golf.”