The Crimson Tide had built a six-stroke lead over second-place North Florida at the Shoal Creek Invitational at the par-72 Shoal Creek Country Club. Alabama had the momentum, but it slipped away Tuesday after a few dismal rounds from the Alabama players, dropping eight strokes on the total score. The team was still able to claim second place with 2-under-par.
“We didn’t play very well, to be quite honest with you. It takes special characteristics and character to be a winner, and to be a champion. We didn’t display that today,” Coach Jay Seawell said. “We will learn from it. We’re new, we’re young, and look forward to going back to work.”
Junior Tom Lovelady was leading the tournament individually coming into Tuesday. Lovelady had a career-low round of 66 in round two. Lovelady’s 70 in the third round would not be enough, as his opponent Joey Petronio of North Florida shot 66 as well. Petronio topped Lovelady by one stroke at the tournament’s close.
“I played well, it’s not like I shot over par. I shot 70. I shot 2-under,” Lovelady said. “The guy I played with just played better. He made a lot of putts and just didn’t really hit any bad shots. I hit a couple of shots I’d like to take back, but overall 10-under-par for three days isn’t bad at all.”
Sophomore Robby Shelton also had a good tournament, but not the one he said he would have liked. Shelton began the tournament shooting a 67 in the first round, but followed that with two rounds of 73. At 3-under-par, he tied for third place in the tournament.
“I’m not very satisfied with it this week,” he said. “Started off the week pretty good with a 5-under in the first round, and after that, something clicked and I kind of lost it. Two-over in the last two rounds is not very good out here. The course is very scoreable, and I kind of let myself down.”
With Alabama coming off back-to-back national championships, Seawell said a successful tournament for most teams is not good enough for the Crimson Tide.
“We found out today, that if you don’t play your best, people will beat you,” he said. “There’s part of me that is just mad, because you want to win, but there is part of me goes ‘Wow, this is something we can learn from,’ and it makes you kind of want to get back to work.”
