Gators Open Spring at Sea Best

Monday, February 3

Jacksonville, FL

ALL DAY

Florida Gators

Sea Best Invitational

Gators Open Spring at Sea Best

Saturday, February 1, 2020 | Men's Golf

The Florida men's golf team is set to begin its spring season at the Sea Best Invitational on Monday.

By: Hannah Krulevitch

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Florida men's golf team is set to begin its spring season at the Sea Best Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla. The event is hosted by Jacksonville University and runs from Monday, Feb. 3 to Tuesday, Feb. 4.

Format
The teams will complete 36 holes on Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday. Play on each day is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. ET.

Course Information
The tournament is being played at TPC Sawgrass on Dye's Valley Course - the sister track of the renowned THE PLAYERS Championship Stadium Course. The par 70, 6,873 yard course is consistently ranked as one of the best links in Florida.

How to Follow
Updates throughout the two-day event will be provided on GolfStat.com and Twitter via @GatorsGolf. A complete recap with full results will be posted on FloridaGators.com following each day of play.

Gators' Lineup
No. 1 - John Axelsen
No. 2 - Ricky Castillo
No. 3 - Chris Nido
No. 4 - Blake Dyer
No. 5 - Fred Biondi
Ind. - Quentin Debove
Ind. - John DuBois
Ind. - Manny Girona

The Field (Golfstat Rankings)
No. 20 Arkansas
Campbell
East Carolina
Florida
Jacksonville
Liberty
Lipscomb
McNeese State
No. 16 North Carolina
North Carolina State
North Florida
No. 13 Texas A&M
UNLV
USC Upstate

Tournament History
The Gators have fared well at the Sea Best Invitational under head coach JC Deacon. In four appearances over the past five seasons, Deacon has guided Florida to two team titles as well two individual titles. Last year, UF took third behind a runner-up performance from Gordon Neale.

Four current Gators - Manny Girona, John Axelsen, Chris Nido and Blake Dyer - have previously competed at the Sea Best Invitational. Girona is Florida's top returning finisher in the event, tying for 15th last season.

Fall Season Recap
The Gators' fall season proved to be an adjustment period for a squad that consists of eight underclassmen.

Florida competed in four tournaments from September to October, with two seventh-place finishes coming at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational and the Tavistock Invitational.

John Axelsen led the way for the Gators through the fall. At the top of the lineup, the junior tallied an impressive 70.92 scoring average. He also notched three top-15 finishes, including a second-place performance at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational.

Freshman Ricky Castillo also enjoyed a solid fall campaign. As the No. 8 amateur in the world, Castillo finished within the top 25 of every event. Castillo's best outing came at the Nike Collegiate Invitational where he shot 4 under to tie for 15th.

Welcome to #GatorNation, Christophe
Head coach JC Deacon announced in early January that talented in-state recruit, Christophe Stutts, reclassified in time to join the men's golf team for the 2020 spring season.

"Christophe has worked very hard for this opportunity," said Deacon. "Coach Leon and I are excited for him to join our program. He has the talent, desire and work ethic to be a big part of our future."

Stutts' Amateur Accolades...
   • Tied for second at the 2019 St. Augustine Amateur (71-67-65)
   • Won the 2019 Moonlight Mini Tour at both the Eagle Dunes Golf Course and MetroWest Golf Course
   • First alternate 2019 US Amateur Qualifier

Busy Break for Blake
Redshirt Senior Blake Dyer returns the Gators' lineup for the first time since last year's NCAA Regional in Pullman. Despite not competing in the fall, Dyer enters the Sea Best Invitational playing some of the best golf of his career.

Over winter break, Dyer tallied two top-five finishes, tying for fifth at the Orlando International Amateur and tying for third at the New Year's Invitational.

Combining his recent performances with the experience he brings to Florida's young roster, Dyer will undoubtedly be an asset to the Gators as they shift gears into spring.

Up Next
Florida returns to Gainesville for the Gators Invitational presented by VyStar, its only home event of the season. The two-day tournament is scheduled to run from Saturday, Feb. 15 to Sunday, Feb. 16 and will take place at Mark Bostick Golf Course.