Sophomore Paula Francisco finished runner-up with a 54-hole score of 4-under 209, both career-bests, and just one shot behind medalist Marie Madsen of N.C. State, who earned a spot individually at the championships next week.
Francisco led through the first two rounds and opened her second start in regionals with a career-low 4-under 67, her second of the postseason after the same mark in round one of the SEC Championship. She was tied for a tournament-best this week with 12 birdies and one eagle. The finish is the best by a Gator at an NCAA Regional since 2017 when Kelly Grassel won medalist honors in Columbus.
Florida had a final team round of 293 (+9) for a three-round score of 864 (+12) to finish tied for 3rd with host Virginia. South Carolina (-2) won the regional followed by Ole Miss (+9) and in the fifth and final championship advancing spot UCLA (+17).
UF earned the trip to the final tournament of the season behind an all underclassmen lineup of three sophomores and two freshmen while overcoming some heart breakers at regionals over the last four years, including missing by a shot in back-to-back seasons (2021 & 2022) and leading at the turn last year.
The NCAA National Championships will take place at Omni La Costa from May 16-21. Florida advances to the championships for the first time since 2019 and 29th time in program history since the inaugural NCAA-sanctioned golf tournament in 1982, entering its 43rd year – no tournament in 2020 due to COVID-19. It is the seventh time under head coach Emily Glaser Florida has reached nationals.
When Florida teed off the final 18-holes at Birdwood Golf Course, they were eight shots inside the championship cut as N.C. State, who finished sixth and battled to crack the top-5 today.
The Gators got off to a great start with two birdies on hole one from Addison Klonowski and Karoline Tuttle. A redshirt-freshman, Klonowski, made back-to-back birdies and added her third in the first four holes. She had a clutch final round of 2-under 69 with a birdie on the 18th to finish T13, her ninth top-25 of the season and 12th under par round – both team-highs.
Once all five in the lineup were two holes or more completed, Florida was tied for second with Ole Miss and UCLA at +3 and six shots inside the cut, the…
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