The seventh-ranked University of Florida men’s golf team posted a third-round score of 300 (+12) on Wednesday, securing a 10th-place finish at the United States Collegiate Championship. The Gators concluded the event with a team total of 903 (+39), while junior Tyler Brown (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) and sophomore Billy Horschel (Grant, Fla.) each captured top-20 individual finishes.

“I’m a little disappointed in the way we played this week, but there are always positives that you can take from a tournament,” Florida head coach Buddy Alexander said. “A couple guys came through and played nice rounds for us today, so we got out of here on somewhat of a good note. We’re young and we make mistakes, but we need to find out how to cut down on those so that we can get better.”

Brown came up with a one-over 73 on Wednesday to lead the Florida effort, charging into the clubhouse with back-to-back birdies on eight and nine, his last two holes of the tournament. The third-round 73 was Brown’s best round of the USCC, and moved him up nine spots into a tie for 20th, marking his second-best finish as a Gator. He finished the event with a 54-hole total of 225 (+9), which constituted the second-best score on a par-72 course in his UF career.

“Tyler had a nice tournament against a really strong field,” Alexander said. “He’s proven to be a pretty reliable guy for us, and we have to make some decisions in the next few days about the postseason. With the way he’s swing the club right now, he’s someone that we could see more of as we go further along.”

Horschel brought his third round home in the same fashion as Brown, rolling in birdies on each of his last two holes to grab a share of 20th. He finished the tournament with a score of 225 (+9), adding his second top-20 finish to a season resume that already included a win, two top-five finishes and three top-10 showings. Horschel only finished outside the top-20 at one regular-season tournament, while counting himself amongst the top-10 individuals at six events.

Another Florida junior was at the forefront of the Gators’ attack on Wednesday, as Manuel Villegas (Medellin, Colombia) complemented Brown’s round with a two-over 74 effort of his own. Villegas birdied four holes on the afternoon to card his best round of the tournament by a six-shot margin and finish in a tie for 64th with a total of 235 (+19). Freshman Tim McKenney (Scottsdale, Ariz.) turned in a final-round 77 to wrap up the regular season with a 10-over 226, good for a 24th-place tie. Sophomore Toby Ragland (Jacksonville, Fla.) finished in a tie for 56th with a score of 233 (+17) after shooting a six-over 78 on Wednesday.

“We did a decent job of staying away from big numbers today, but we left ourselves with too many bogeys,” Alexander said. “It was nice to see Manny chip in for us, but it’s too early to tell if he’s getting back to the Manny of old. We’ll take the positives from this tournament and build on them heading into SECs and NCAAs.”

The Gators will be out of action for just nine days before heading to Sea Island, Ga., and Seaside Golf Club for the SEC Championship. The three-day event will run from April 20-22, with tee times yet to be announced. Scoring will be done live on the Internet at www.golfstat.com, and can also be accessed via www.gatorzone.com.

Final Team Scores

Final Individual Top-10

Final Florida Results

-UF-