Bradenton, FL – All season long the No. 1 Florida State golf team found a way to win tournaments. On four occasions the Seminoles came from behind on the final day of a tournament to win, when FSU needed to come through the squad always did. In the fourth round of the NCAA Golf Championships Monday the team was unable to make up the ground it needed to advance to match play ending the most successful season in school history.
“This was one of the only times, if not the only time, this year when we really needed a big round on the final day and we didn’t get it,” said head coach Trey Jones. “That’s golf. That’s going to happen. It happens to tour players and surely we are not immune to it as 18-22 year old players.”
Florida State advanced from the field of 30 to the round of 15 on Sunday but needed a strong round Monday to make up ground and move into the top eight. It just wasn’t to be in the fourth round. FSU finished ten-over for the day and +29 for the tournament, good for an 11th place finish. It was the sixth top 15 finish at the NCAA Championships since Jones took over the program in 2003-04.
“We hadn’t played great the first three rounds but we were still in a position to come out and compete and possibly get into that top eight,” said junior captain Hank Lebioda. “It didn’t work out the way we planned or hoped. We worked our butts off all year.
“Just because we didn’t succeed this one time we can’t dwell on that and we can’t let it define our season. Hopefully the guys realize that and are proud of what they’ve accomplished this entire year as a whole not just a single event.”
The Seminoles entered the tournament as the number one ranked team in the nation and the top seed in the tournament, both program firsts. They also set school records with six tournament wins and four straight titles. FSU came into the tournament having finished ahead of almost every team in the field at one point or another during the season and never finishing out of the top five, making even an 11th place national finish seem below their high expectations.
“It was a great season and arguably the best season in Florida State history,” said Jones. “It just wasn’t a great week. We needed a great week and just didn’t get it.”
“I am very proud of what we accomplished this year,” said Lebioda. “It’s something that has never happened before at Florida State and this group of guys is going to be back next year. There are no seniors on this roster. It’s really humbling that I’d be able to be a part of such a team and lead such good guys and good golfers to success this program has never experienced before. I am really proud and hopefully the guys are too. I hope they relish how good we played the entire year and be proud.”
On Monday, the Seminoles didn’t get the rounds they needed from the two best golfers on the roster as Lebioda shot a 76 and Jack Maguire had a tournament-high round of 74. Rowin Caron kept his momentum going with a round of 72, his best of the championships but Cristobal Del Solar and Josh Lee both posted scores of 76 as well. Maguire finished 22nd overall and Solar finished 35th.
None of the five Seminoles who played this weekend are seniors giving Jones the opportunity to use the team’s play in Bradenton going into next season.
“I never miss an opportunity to teach and they never need to miss an opportunity to learn,” said Jones.
