Gators hold on in final round, win third consecutive Sea Best Invitational

Tuesday, January 30

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. / TPC Sawgrass

9:12 a.m. (18 Holes)

Florida Gators

Sea Best Invitational

Florida won its seventh team victory at the Sea Best Invitational and fifth time under head coach J.C. Deacon.

Gators hold on in final round, win third consecutive Sea Best Invitational

Tuesday, January 30, 2024 | Men's Golf

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Ian Gilligan finished runner-up with seven Gators in the top 15.

By: Matthew Hutchison

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The Florida men's golf team held off North Florida's comeback efforts, for its third consecutive victory at the Sea Best Invitational on Tuesday at TPC Sawgrass.

The Gators shot a team score of 842 (+2) for a three-shot win and back-to-back to start the spring. It was the seventh overall victory at the event and fifth under head coach J.C. Deacon. Deacon has now guided the Gators to 24 team victories in his 10th season.

A total of 10 UF golfers competed on the week with seven finishing in the top 15; Ian Gilligan (2), Tyler Wilkes (T4), Luke Poulter (6), Jack Turner (T7), Parker Bell (T7), Miguel Leal (12) and Quentin Debove (T15). The finishes of Bell and Poulter marked career-bests for the second-year players. Poulter had the second-lowest round of the day with a 3-under 67 going bogey-free on the back nine and three consecutive birdies to start.

Florida entered the final round with a seven-shot lead that was erased by UNF midway through the final 18 holes. The Ospreys took a one-shot advantage when both teams were at holes 12-14. Then a 4-under stretch on 15 (par-4, 402) and 16 (par-5, 559) moved Florida back in the lead and Gilligan closed out the third win of the season with a birdie on 18, bouncing back from a bogey the hole prior. He finished runner-up by a shot for his best finish as a Gator.

John DuBois sparked UF's late-round push with a birdie on 16. He nearly chipped in with his ball bouncing off near the bottom of the flag stick. He then added some insurance with a birdie on 18. The fifth-year senior finished T33.

The next three birdies all came from each of the final three Gators in Turner (16), Wilkes (15) and Gilligan (15) on the deciding stretch at the Dye's Valley Course.

The Gators will host the Gators Invitational at Mark Bostick Golf Course from Feb. 17-18.

Place	Name	Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Score
2	Ian Gilligan	70	67	69	206
T4	Tyler Wilkes	71	68	70	209
6	Luke Poulter (I)	72	71	67	210
T7	Jack Turner	71	70	70	211
T7	Parker Bell (I)	73	69	69	211
12	Miguel Leal (I)	73	70	70	213
T15	Quentin Debove (I)	71	72	72	215
T28	Matthew Kress	74	71	73	218
T33	John DuBois	74	74	71	219
T43	Ryan Hart (I)	73	75	73	221

Place	School	Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Score	Par
1	Florida	286	276	280	842	+2
2	North Florida	288	281	276	845	+5
3	Louisville	291	283	284	858	+18
4	Cal Poly	297	285	281	863	+23
5	Florida Gulf Coast U	294	284	287	865	+25
6	UTSA	297	280	289	866	+26
7	Lipscomb	293	288	288	869	+29
8	Kennesaw State	289	297	286	872	+32
9	Louisiana Tech	297	288	288	873	+33
10	Campbell	300	296	280	876	+36
11	Liberty	293	294	292	879	+39
12	Florida Atlantic	296	293	297	886	+46
13	UCF	303	293	295	891	+51
14	Jacksonville	296	289	307	892	+52
15	USC Upstate	309	297	297	903	+63