The University of Florida men’s golf team shot a final-round 291 (+3) on Sunday to finish in fourth place at the 2009 Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational in Statesboro, Ga. Senior Billy Horschel (Grant, Fla.) shot a 69 (-3) and finished in a six-way tie for fourth place along with junior Tim McKenney (Scottsdale, Ariz.).

“It was disappointing to get so close and not win,” said head coach Buddy Alexander. “It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. We didn’t perform very well on the last nine holes, and we had to count a high score today, which ultimately was a disappointment.”

Florida finished with a 54-hole total of 870 (+6), five strokes behind South Carolina, who shot two-under par 286 on Sunday to win by two strokes. The Gators entered the day in a tie for first, but Horschel was the only player to shoot under-par in the final round.

McKenney birdied his first hole on Sunday, but it would be his only birdie of the day and he entered the clubhouse with a 74 (+2). Horschel and McKenney tied for fourth with a three-day total of 214 (-2).

Junior Tyson Alexander (Gainesville, Fla.) shot even-par 72 on Sunday, and moved up eight spots on the leader board to finish in a tie for 32nd at four-over par 220 for the tournament.

Senior Will Strickler (Charlottesville, Va.) fired a 76 (+4) on Sunday to round out the team score. Strickler finished in a tie for 74th with a three-day total of 228 (+12). Freshman Mu Hu (Shen Zhen, China) shot a 77 (+5) and ended the tournament in a tie for 77th at 13-over par 229.

N.C. State’s Matt Hill took home the individual medal after firing his second-straight 69 (-3) to finish at seven-under par 209.

“Tim played under a lot of pressure today and had a chance to win,” said Coach Alexander. “The team had an opportunity to get a taste of battling for a team title away from home in a close contest. We didn’t handle it as well as I would have liked, but it was a great learning experience and we’ll keep building and be ready for the end of the season.”

Up next for the Gators is the prestigious U.S. Collegiate Championship, hosted by Georgia Tech at the Golf Club of Georgia in Atlanta on April 5-7. Florida will then look to tune up for postseason action, beginning with the SEC Championships April 17-19 in Sea Island, Ga.

Team Results

Individual Top-10

Florida Results