Sunday, September 25
Vestavia Hills, Ala. / Old Overton Club
8:30 a.m. (36 holes)
Florida Gators
vs
SEC Match Play Championship
Fred Biondi tees off hole one during the SEC Match Play Championship vs. Vanderbilt last season.
Gators Continue Fall at SEC Match Play Championship
Friday, September 23, 2022 | Men's Golf
The tournament features 54-holes of stroke play and match play with action starting on Sunday.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Dates: Sunday, Sept. 25 - Tuesday, Sept. 27
Location: Vestavia Hills, Ala. - Old Overton ClubΒ
Host: University of AlabamaΒ
Course Par/Yardage: 70 / 7,204 yards
Format: 36 holes Sunday, 18 holes Monday and match play TuesdayΒ
Tee Times: 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday and TBA Monday and TuesdayΒ
Scoring: Golf Stat
Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Β
THE LINEUP
No. 1 - Fred Biondi
No. 2 - Ricky Castillo
No. 3 - John DuBois
No. 4 - Quentin Debove
No. 5 - Parker Bell
TEE OFF
After winning the first tournament of the season and a runner-up finishing in a loaded field last week, the Florida men's golf team heads to the SEC Match Play Championship.Β Β Β
COMPETING TEAMS
Alabama (host), Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.Β
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
After 35 seasons (1986-2020), the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate will make the transition to a first-of-its-kind SEC Match Play hosted by Jerry Pate. All 14 SEC schools will compete in 54 holes of stroke play β 36 holes Sunday followed by 18 Monday β with match play coming on Tuesday. The top two finishers from stroke play will square off in the final groupings of the day, while the 12 other teams will square off in East vs. West match play format.
LAST TIME OUT
Ricky Castillo and the Gators reocrded a runner-up finish at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invite last week.Β The Gators shot a team score of 843 (+3) backed behind a round three of 279 (-1) after starting the day in fourth. Florida opened up the season with a victory at the Fighting Irish Collegiate as the field this weekend with five of the eight teams that made match play at the 2022 NCAA Championships, includingΒ last year's national champion, Texas, and runner-up, Arizona State.Β Β Β
Castillo posted three rounds of 68 (-2) to end 6-under overall at Olympia Fields. The round marked his fourth under-par this season as we went bogey-free on the back with birdies on 10 (par 4, 444 yards) and 18 (par 4, 496 yards). His 54-hole score of 204 was only three strokes away from tying ninth all-time last set by Chris Nido in the 2019 NCAA Regional. He also was tied for a tournament-leading 12 birdies.Β
Yuxin LinΒ (T15) andΒ Fred BiondiΒ (T20) both placed in the top-25 for the second consecutive tournament. Biondi used his lowest round (69, -1) of the weekend to jump 17 spots. Starting and ending the day with a birdie, Lin shot an even 70 in round three.
A SEASON AGO
After a bumpy start early in the fall, the Gators concluded with a top-5 finish which carried momentum into the spring with back-to-back victories to start. The latter included winning the VyStar Gators Invitational for the 28th time and third consecutive en route to Fred Biondi tying the tournament record at 196 (-14) for his first career collegiate title.Β
The spring featured eight straight top-5 finishes with a runner-up performance at the SEC Championship and advancing to the match play finals for the first time in program history. John DuBois laid claim to the SEC Individual Championship for his first collegiate victory.Β
Florida secured its 32nd NCAA Regional bid and took a third place finish to advance its 55th appearance in the National Championships. On day three of stroke play, the Gators used late birdies on the back nine to make the first cut. UF concluded the season with a 10th place finish and only seven strokes from making match play. The finish marked the highest under head coach J.C. Deacon and best since a 9th place performance in 2007.
TOUR U
Following a breakout season, Fred Biondi earned the No. 1 ranking in the preseason PGA TOUR University Velocity Global Class of 2023 Rankings as a total of four Gators placed in the top-25. The next three Florida golfers were ranked in consecutive order with Ricky Castillo (No. 19), John DuBois (No. 20) and Yuxin Lin (No. 21) as the four selections were the most of any school as both North Carolina and Pepperdine had three.Β
Currently, Biondi holds the No. 2 spot with Ricky Castillo No. 17, jumping seven spots this week. John DuBois at No. 20 and Yuxin Lin at No. 21.Β
PRESEASON NODS
Prior to the start of their senior seasons, Fred Biondi and Ricky Castillo were named to the Preseason Haskins Award Watch List. The award is considered the most prestigious award in collegiate golf, and is presented annually to the most outstanding male golfer.
THE CHAMP
Winning his first collegiate title, John DuBois became the 25th Gator to win the SEC Individual Championship, which is the most by any school in the conference. He tied for the third-lowest round (64, -6) in SEC history as concluded the stroke play portion of the tournament setting career lows in round (64), tournament score (204) and best finish (1).
The native of Windermere, Fla., followed his historic performance by sending the Florida men's golf team to the SEC Championship Finals with his victory on the playoff hole in the semifinals vs. No. 1 Texas A&M.Β He teed off the 18th 1-down and won the hole to force extras. DuBois nearly eagled the hole (565 yards, par 5) as he two putted from seven feet for another memorable moment. The junior went 2-1 in the match play portion of the SEC Championship as he played in all 27 rounds for the first time in his career.Β
ROOKIE GATORS
Florida welcomed four newcomers this season in Parker Bell (Tallahassee, Fla.), Toby Bishop (Wales, United Kingdom), Will McGriff (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) and Luke Poulter (Orlando, Fla.).Β
GATOR GREAT COACHESΒ
Last fall, head coach J.C. Deacon announced the addition of Dudley Hart as the next assistant coach. The Gator Great spent the last four seasons as the volunteer assistant coach. He was four-time All American, the 1987 SEC Freshman of the Year and a two-time PGA Tour winner.Β
To start last spring, Deacon again took the program to another level with the addition of Gator Great and former FedEx Cup Champion, Billy Horschel, as a volunteer assistant coach. He was a four-year (2006-09) member of the Gator golf team, three-time (2006-07, 2009) first-team All-American and two-time (2007 & 2009) SEC Player of the Year with over 280 professional outings.Β
THE TURN
The fall slate concludes with the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 3-4).
Dates: Sunday, Sept. 25 - Tuesday, Sept. 27
Location: Vestavia Hills, Ala. - Old Overton ClubΒ
Host: University of AlabamaΒ
Course Par/Yardage: 70 / 7,204 yards
Format: 36 holes Sunday, 18 holes Monday and match play TuesdayΒ
Tee Times: 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday and TBA Monday and TuesdayΒ
Scoring: Golf Stat
Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Β
THE LINEUP
No. 1 - Fred Biondi
No. 2 - Ricky Castillo
No. 3 - John DuBois
No. 4 - Quentin Debove
No. 5 - Parker Bell
TEE OFF
After winning the first tournament of the season and a runner-up finishing in a loaded field last week, the Florida men's golf team heads to the SEC Match Play Championship.Β Β Β
COMPETING TEAMS
Alabama (host), Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.Β
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
After 35 seasons (1986-2020), the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate will make the transition to a first-of-its-kind SEC Match Play hosted by Jerry Pate. All 14 SEC schools will compete in 54 holes of stroke play β 36 holes Sunday followed by 18 Monday β with match play coming on Tuesday. The top two finishers from stroke play will square off in the final groupings of the day, while the 12 other teams will square off in East vs. West match play format.
LAST TIME OUT
Ricky Castillo and the Gators reocrded a runner-up finish at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invite last week.Β The Gators shot a team score of 843 (+3) backed behind a round three of 279 (-1) after starting the day in fourth. Florida opened up the season with a victory at the Fighting Irish Collegiate as the field this weekend with five of the eight teams that made match play at the 2022 NCAA Championships, includingΒ last year's national champion, Texas, and runner-up, Arizona State.Β Β Β
Castillo posted three rounds of 68 (-2) to end 6-under overall at Olympia Fields. The round marked his fourth under-par this season as we went bogey-free on the back with birdies on 10 (par 4, 444 yards) and 18 (par 4, 496 yards). His 54-hole score of 204 was only three strokes away from tying ninth all-time last set by Chris Nido in the 2019 NCAA Regional. He also was tied for a tournament-leading 12 birdies.Β
Yuxin LinΒ (T15) andΒ Fred BiondiΒ (T20) both placed in the top-25 for the second consecutive tournament. Biondi used his lowest round (69, -1) of the weekend to jump 17 spots. Starting and ending the day with a birdie, Lin shot an even 70 in round three.
A SEASON AGO
After a bumpy start early in the fall, the Gators concluded with a top-5 finish which carried momentum into the spring with back-to-back victories to start. The latter included winning the VyStar Gators Invitational for the 28th time and third consecutive en route to Fred Biondi tying the tournament record at 196 (-14) for his first career collegiate title.Β
The spring featured eight straight top-5 finishes with a runner-up performance at the SEC Championship and advancing to the match play finals for the first time in program history. John DuBois laid claim to the SEC Individual Championship for his first collegiate victory.Β
Florida secured its 32nd NCAA Regional bid and took a third place finish to advance its 55th appearance in the National Championships. On day three of stroke play, the Gators used late birdies on the back nine to make the first cut. UF concluded the season with a 10th place finish and only seven strokes from making match play. The finish marked the highest under head coach J.C. Deacon and best since a 9th place performance in 2007.
TOUR U
Following a breakout season, Fred Biondi earned the No. 1 ranking in the preseason PGA TOUR University Velocity Global Class of 2023 Rankings as a total of four Gators placed in the top-25. The next three Florida golfers were ranked in consecutive order with Ricky Castillo (No. 19), John DuBois (No. 20) and Yuxin Lin (No. 21) as the four selections were the most of any school as both North Carolina and Pepperdine had three.Β
Currently, Biondi holds the No. 2 spot with Ricky Castillo No. 17, jumping seven spots this week. John DuBois at No. 20 and Yuxin Lin at No. 21.Β
PRESEASON NODS
Prior to the start of their senior seasons, Fred Biondi and Ricky Castillo were named to the Preseason Haskins Award Watch List. The award is considered the most prestigious award in collegiate golf, and is presented annually to the most outstanding male golfer.
THE CHAMP
Winning his first collegiate title, John DuBois became the 25th Gator to win the SEC Individual Championship, which is the most by any school in the conference. He tied for the third-lowest round (64, -6) in SEC history as concluded the stroke play portion of the tournament setting career lows in round (64), tournament score (204) and best finish (1).
The native of Windermere, Fla., followed his historic performance by sending the Florida men's golf team to the SEC Championship Finals with his victory on the playoff hole in the semifinals vs. No. 1 Texas A&M.Β He teed off the 18th 1-down and won the hole to force extras. DuBois nearly eagled the hole (565 yards, par 5) as he two putted from seven feet for another memorable moment. The junior went 2-1 in the match play portion of the SEC Championship as he played in all 27 rounds for the first time in his career.Β
ROOKIE GATORS
Florida welcomed four newcomers this season in Parker Bell (Tallahassee, Fla.), Toby Bishop (Wales, United Kingdom), Will McGriff (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) and Luke Poulter (Orlando, Fla.).Β
GATOR GREAT COACHESΒ
Last fall, head coach J.C. Deacon announced the addition of Dudley Hart as the next assistant coach. The Gator Great spent the last four seasons as the volunteer assistant coach. He was four-time All American, the 1987 SEC Freshman of the Year and a two-time PGA Tour winner.Β
To start last spring, Deacon again took the program to another level with the addition of Gator Great and former FedEx Cup Champion, Billy Horschel, as a volunteer assistant coach. He was a four-year (2006-09) member of the Gator golf team, three-time (2006-07, 2009) first-team All-American and two-time (2007 & 2009) SEC Player of the Year with over 280 professional outings.Β
THE TURN
The fall slate concludes with the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 3-4).
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
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/ Men's Golf
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