UF had a second round of 288 (+4) to produce an overall score of 571 (+3). SEC Champion South Carolina (-5) continues to lead followed by UCLA (+1) as the two other teams inside the cut besides Florida are Ole Miss (+4) and host Virginia (+6). N.C. State looks to reach the cut as they are in striking distance in sixth at +11.

Francisco turned in back-to-back rounds of under par with a 1-under 70 this afternoon. She is one of two golfers (UCLA’s Angela Liu) to post two under par rounds. Across Francisco’s 36-holes, she has made 22 pars, 10 birdies (tied for the tournament-high) and only four bogeys. She looks to capture her first collegiate win tomorrow and the program’s second regional title since Kelly Grassell in 2017.

Following 54-holes, the top-5 teams and low individual from a non-advancing team will advance to the NCAA National Championships at Omni La Costa from May 16-21. The Gators tee off tomorrow’s final 18 holes at 8 a.m. paired with South Carolina and UCLA off hole one. 

When Florida teed off on day two, they were in 4th and six shots inside the top-5 championship cut ahead of sixth place N.C. State, who they were paired with today. 

Francisco picked up where she left off after an opening round of 4-under 67, tying her career-low and lowest by a UF golfer at a regional since 2016. She made three consecutive birdies to start her round on the par5 10th, par3 11th and par5 12th. 

Florida had a great start to the day with five birdies in the first 10 counting holes, which moved them to 5-under in 2nd and two shots back of leader South Carolina. 

After counting three bogeys on the 14th, Francisco stopped the leak with her fourth birdie in the first five holes. She smacked an incredible shot into the green for a tap-in birdie from less than a foot. That was followed up by two birdies on the 15th from Inès Archer and Jessica Guiser propelling Florida in the lead at 5-under in 5-8 holes.

Archer followed with consecutive birdies with her second straight of the week on the 16th producing a two-shot lead advantage over South Carolina at 6-under.

As all five golfers made the turn to the front (teed off the back nine), Florida was in 3rd at 2-under and nine shots inside the championship cut as the wind started to pick up in the second part of the round.

Through 12-16 completed, Florida found itself +2 in T3 and five shots inside the cut behind a +4 start at the turn before erasing the rough start. 

A freshman, Gusier, led the bounce back with three consecutive birdies on holes 5-7. She finished with a 72 (+1) in her second set of 18-holes and is tied for 13th and is +1 through two rounds. The next two counting scores were a pair of 73s (+2) from Archer and Addison Klonowski, who finished strong with a bogey-free even-par front nine. 

Following Guiser’s third birdie, Francisco regrouped from her double-bogey on two with her fifth and final birdie of the day, from 10-plus feet to tie back for individual lead and Florida was back to 1-under and 9 shots ahead of cut at the time.  

The strong stretch of a combined 4-under between Francisco and Guiser was crucial since Florida had a +3 mark in the final six holes scored.

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