The No. 2 University of Florida men’s golf team dropped their final-round match to Texas A&M, 4-1, on Tuesday to finish fourth at the Collegiate Match Play Championship. The performance was the Gators’ fifth top-five placing in as many outings this fall, marking the first time since 2003-04 that the team recorded top-five finishes in each of its fall events.

“We certainly could have played a little better today, but it was a fun tournament for us,” Florida head coach Buddy Alexander said. “We had a good fall, now we just need to do some things over the next few months to get better.”

Freshman Tyson Alexander (Gainesville, Fla.) picked up UF’s lone win on the day, defeating Matt Van Zandt, 3 and 2. Alexander never trailed in the match, and only let Van Zandt square him for three holes, en route to his first match-play win as a collegian.

Junior Manuel Villegas (Medellin, Colombia) was handed his first loss of the tournament on Tuesday, a 3-and-2 defeat at the hands of Martin Piller. Sophomore Billy Horschel (Grant, Fla.) also suffered the first blemish on his record for the week when he lost to Bronson Burgoon, 5 and 3. Villegas led the Gators with a 3-1-0 record at the Match Play Championship, while Horschel finished with a 2-1-1 mark.

Junior Tyler Brown (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) and sophomore Toby Ragland (Jacksonville, Fla.) both dropped their final-round matches on Tuesday. Brown fell to Trey Todd by a score of 3 and 2, while Ragland was defeated, 4 and 3, by Robert Gates.

The Gators will return to action on Feb. 10, when they host the SunTrust Gator Invitational at the University of Florida Golf Course.

Championship Match

(4) Oklahoma State def. (11) Lamar, 3-2

Winners Consolation A Final

(7) Texas A&M def. (1) FLORIDA, 4-1

Winners Consolation B Final

(9) Duke def. (2) Georgia, 3-2

Consolation Final

(8) UNLV def. (10) Arizona State, 4-1

Florida’s Round Four Results (l. Texas A&M, 4-1)

Bronson Burgoon def. Billy Horschel, 5 and 3

Martin Piller def. Manuel Villegas, 3 and 2

Robert Gates def. Toby Ragland, 4 and 3

Trey Todd def. Tyler Brown, 3 and 2

Tyson Alexander def. Matt Van Zandt, 3 and 2

-UF-