Axelsen Announces Decision to Turn Pro
Thursday, May 7, 2020 | Men's Golf
Junior John Axelsen has announced that he is turning pro, forgoing his senior year.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Following a solid junior campaign, John Axelsen has decided to forgo his senior season and begin his professional golf career.
"University of Florida has given me so much," said Axelsen. "I can't thank Coach Deacon and Coach Mark enough. The same goes for all the team members. I will always be a Gator and I can't wait to represent the Gators on a different stage in the upcoming years."
The Denmark native ended his collegiate career with the second-best scoring average in program history at 71.28. He compiled 83 rounds for the Gators, notching 17 top-25 finishes, six of which he placed inside the top five.
This past season, Axelsen was a consistent and reliable presence for Florida. Through seven events, the junior notched six top-15 finishes, including three top-three performances.
Sixteen of Axelsen's 21 rounds were either even or under par, with eight in the 60s. He finished five tournaments under par with his best performance coming at the Sea Best Invitational at 5 under to take second. Those numbers put his adjusted scoring average at 70.22 and allowed him to finish the season as the No. 7 collegiate player in Golfstat's Division I player rankings.
As a result of his elevated play during the 2019-20 season, Axelsen was named to the 2020 NCAA Division I PING All-America First Team, the 2020 PING All-Region Team and the Haskins Award Final Watch List
Quotable - John Axelsen
On his career at Florida...
"The last three years have been absolutely amazing. It's been a roller coaster with so many incredible memories. Arriving as a 19-year-old Dane with little to no knowledge about college life obviously had its challenges, but the way I was received made the transitions much easier that I expected. I can now look back on the three years with a sense of pride. For one, the fact that I got to spend my freshman year with an incredible team that looked like we had a solid shot at an NCAA title, but most of all, the way that we carried ourself as a team when we faced adversity my sophomore year. It was a difficult period for everyone, but the way that we fought our way back and took many teams by surprise was every single hour of practice worth it. I leave a team that I have no doubt in will do incredible and I can't wait to follow all my guys in the many events to come."
On making the decision to turn pro...
"The decision was obviously very tough to make. At the beginning of my junior year, I had already made coach aware of my decision to turn pro, but as many know, the coronavirus made the decision even harder. And after many hours of consideration I decided that I was so excited about continuing my career that I had to make that choice. After all, I've been playing competitive amateur events for more than 10 years and it was time for me to move on."
"University of Florida has given me so much," said Axelsen. "I can't thank Coach Deacon and Coach Mark enough. The same goes for all the team members. I will always be a Gator and I can't wait to represent the Gators on a different stage in the upcoming years."
The Denmark native ended his collegiate career with the second-best scoring average in program history at 71.28. He compiled 83 rounds for the Gators, notching 17 top-25 finishes, six of which he placed inside the top five.
This past season, Axelsen was a consistent and reliable presence for Florida. Through seven events, the junior notched six top-15 finishes, including three top-three performances.
Sixteen of Axelsen's 21 rounds were either even or under par, with eight in the 60s. He finished five tournaments under par with his best performance coming at the Sea Best Invitational at 5 under to take second. Those numbers put his adjusted scoring average at 70.22 and allowed him to finish the season as the No. 7 collegiate player in Golfstat's Division I player rankings.
As a result of his elevated play during the 2019-20 season, Axelsen was named to the 2020 NCAA Division I PING All-America First Team, the 2020 PING All-Region Team and the Haskins Award Final Watch List
Quotable - John Axelsen
On his career at Florida...
"The last three years have been absolutely amazing. It's been a roller coaster with so many incredible memories. Arriving as a 19-year-old Dane with little to no knowledge about college life obviously had its challenges, but the way I was received made the transitions much easier that I expected. I can now look back on the three years with a sense of pride. For one, the fact that I got to spend my freshman year with an incredible team that looked like we had a solid shot at an NCAA title, but most of all, the way that we carried ourself as a team when we faced adversity my sophomore year. It was a difficult period for everyone, but the way that we fought our way back and took many teams by surprise was every single hour of practice worth it. I leave a team that I have no doubt in will do incredible and I can't wait to follow all my guys in the many events to come."
On making the decision to turn pro...
"The decision was obviously very tough to make. At the beginning of my junior year, I had already made coach aware of my decision to turn pro, but as many know, the coronavirus made the decision even harder. And after many hours of consideration I decided that I was so excited about continuing my career that I had to make that choice. After all, I've been playing competitive amateur events for more than 10 years and it was time for me to move on."
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
Florida Women's Basketball | FAU Recap
Thursday, November 27
Florida Softball | Gators Provide Thanksgiving Baskets to Local Families 🦃
Wednesday, November 26
Florida Volleyball | Top 5 Plays from the SEC Tournament
Wednesday, November 26
Florida Golf | 2025 Gator Golf Day Recap
Wednesday, November 26
