Castillo, Kress Lead Gators Surge to Third at SEC Championship

Thursday, April 20

St. Simons Island, Ga. / Sea Island Golf Club

8 a.m. (18 Holes)

Florida Gators

SEC Championship

Ryan Hart congratulates Ricky Castillo after his career-best round at the SEC Championship, a 4-under 66.

Castillo, Kress Lead Gators Surge to Third at SEC Championship

Thursday, April 20, 2023 | Men's Golf

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Ricky Castillo shot a 66 (-4) and Matthew Kress a 67 (-3) for Florida’s 7-under round two.

By: Matthew Hutchison

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. - The No. 7/9 Florida men's golf team was led by Ricky Castillo and Matthew Kress in its surge to third place in round two of the SEC Championship on Thursday.

The California duo helped the Gators shoot a team score of 273 (-7) for the lowest round of the day by three shots and the fourth lowest of the tournament. UF started 'Moving Day' in 7th place and climbed five spots and is two shots back of co-leaders Alabama and Texas A&M.

Castillo carded the second-lowest round in the field with a 66 (-4). It marked the lowest of his career at the conference tournament as he climbed 31 spots to T22. The senior made three birdies in a row on holes 14-16 (two par-4s & a par-5). He made a seven-shot improvement from an opening round of 73 (+3).

Great approach 🎯
➡️ short putt for birdie ✅

Puts Ricky 1-under thru 2#GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/JThyTC145j
— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) April 20, 2023

Making his postseason debut this week, redshirt-freshman Matthew Kress (T35) set a career-best with a round of 67 (-3), bouncing back from a 74 (+4) on day one. After two bogeys in his first four holes, he went bogey-free the rest of the way with a pair of birdies on 11 (par-4, 425) and 12 (par-3, 223) and wrapped up with another batch on 17 (par-3, 192) and 18 (par-4, 470). His birdie on 18 marked only the 10th of the event and sixth golfer to record it today, ranking the third hardest hole at Sea Island.

Both Fred Biondi and John DuBois had rounds of even par (70). Tied for 7th, Biondi erased two early bogeys with back-to-back birdies on five (par-4, 409) and six (par-3, 179). DuBois is 1-under through 36 holes in T22 with Biondi 3-under and five back from the individual lead.

That a boy Fred 👏👏

Back ✌️ back birdies on five and six #GoGators 🐊 | @FredBiondi pic.twitter.com/9DOGKthNRp
— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) April 20, 2023

Yuxin Lin had a round two 72 (+2) and is just a tick outside the top-25 in T27 at even par.

Florida will tee off tomorrow at 9:40 a.m. and be paired with Alabama and Texas A&M as the top-8 match play cut will take place after 54-holes of stroke play.

Saturday will consist of the quarterfinals and the semifinals. The semifinals will be streamed live on SECN+ with the finals on Sunday airing live on SEC Network with Gator Great and former UF golfer Steve Melnyk on the call.