Wednesday, April 24
St. Simons Island, Ga. / Sea Island Golf Club: Seaside Course
8:50 a.m.(18 Holes)
Florida Gators
at
SEC Championship
Matthew Kress tees off his round at the 2023 SEC Championship at Sea Island GC.
Florida Set to Defend SEC Title, Begin Play Wednesday
Tuesday, April 23, 2024 | Men's Golf
Live Scoring (Stroke Play)Live Scoring (Match Play)Watch (Semifinals)Watch (Finals)SEC Championship Central
The Gators tee off round one at 8:50 a.m. from Sea Island GC
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Dates: Wednesday, April 24 - Sunday, April 28
Location: St. Simons Island, Ga. - Sea Island Golf Club: Seaside Course
Host: SEC
Course Par/Yardage: 70 / 7,005 yards
Format: 54-hole stroke play (18-18-18) and Match Play (3 matches)
Tee Times: 8:50 a.m. on Wednesday and TBA other days
Scoring: Golf Stat
Watch: Semifinals (SECN+) and Finals (SECN)
Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
TEE OFF
The No. 15 Florida men's golf team looks to defend its SEC title at the SEC Championship this week at Sea Island GC.
LINEUP
No. 1 - Ian Gilligan
No. 2 - Matthew Kress
No. 3 - Jack Turner
No. 4 - Parker Bell
No. 5 - Tyler Wilkes
Alternate - Luke Poulter
FORMAT
The 2024 event will mark the seventh consecutive in which the championship will feature both stroke and match play, with match play on Saturday (Quarterfinals and Semifinals) and Sunday (Championship). Three rounds of stroke play will occur the opening three days of the championship with the top-8 teams advancing to single-elimination match play.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Gators are tied for second all-time in the SEC with 16 conference championships with LSU. Florida won its first title in 1955 and defended it the following season. From 1988-1996, UF claimed five championships including four consecutive from 1991-1994. The other four years they finished runner-up and third twice.
In the match play portion, Florida is 7-3 all-time with victories over Georgia (2022), Ole Miss (2018, 2023), South Carolina (2017), Texas A&M (2022, 2023) and Vanderbilt (2023).
Last year, it was a match-play finals rematch for the first time with the Gators defeating Vanderbilt 3-1-1. Leading the Gators to its second consecutive trip to the finals was Matthew Kress, who went 3-0 in match play and won match-clinching points in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
COMPETING TEAMS (Top-25 NCAA Rankings)
No. 9 Alabama, No. 11 Arkansas, No. 1 Auburn, No. 15 Florida, No. 23 Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, No. 5 Ole Miss, South Carolina, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 22 Texas A&M and No. 2 Vanderbilt.
LAST TIME OUT
Florida closed the regular season with its sixth win of the season at the Calusa Cup, marking back-to-back wins to end the spring.
Freshman Jack Turner led the lineup with a third-place finish and score of 212 (-4) to earn his second SEC Freshman Golfer of the Week award. The performance was his fifth top-14 of the season in six starts and has shot under-par last three consecutive events. He finished two shots behind the individual winner, Scotty Kennon of Wake Forest who set the tournament record at 6-under.
All six Gators ended in the top-20 with Matthew Kress taking 8th with a mark of 217 (+1). He and Ian Gilligan both gave UF counting rounds of 71 (-1) today. Gilligan placed T16 for his ninth top-21 of the season as Luke Poulter (I) also finished T16.
DOMINANT SPRING
After a shaky fall, the Gators responded with five wins in the spring to total six on the season. Florida recorded consecutive seasons with six wins for the first time since 1973-74 and 1974-75.
UF ended the spring portion of the season with five tournament wins and a 4th place finish at the Southern Highlands Collegiate, that featured Ian Gilligan winning medalist honors and earning an exemption into the PGA Tour's 2024 Shriners Open in October.
The Orange and Blue have now claimed 27 team titles under head coach J.C. Deacon in 10 seasons. This is the seventh season under Deacon UF has won multiple tournaments in a year and fourth of three-plus. Six tournament wins in a season is tied for the most under Deacon, which came last season and included an SEC and National Championship.
Of the last six rounds, Florida has held the team lead and continued this week for a six-shot victory at Calusa Pines Golf Club. In the four stroke play tournament wins this spring, the Gators won by a combined 28 strokes. UF won the Pablo Collegiate Cup over Jacksonville 6-1 to start the spring season.
HASKINS WATCH LIST
Ian Gilligan was named to the first Spring Haskins Award Watch List, honoring the best golfer in collegiate golf. Gilligan has had a hot start to the spring with finishes of 2-3-1 and match play win in the first four spring events.
He won his fifth collegiate tournament and first as a Gator, at the Southern Highlands Collegiate. The victory also earned him an exemption into the PGA Tour's 2024 Shriners Open and back-to-back SEC Golfer of the Week honors.
FALL RECAP
UF highlighted the first half of the season with the victory at the Georgetown Intercollegiate with a 17-shot victory behind Matthew Kress' first collegiate victory and the 22nd all-time under head coach J.C. Deacon.
Kress leads the team in stroke average (70.8) followed behind transfer Ian Gilligan, who are both tied for a team-best four top-25 finishes out of five fall tournaments.
PROMOTED
Prior to the 2023-24 season getting underway, head coach J.C. Deacon announced the promotion of Gator Great and assistant coach Dudley Hart to Associate Head Coach.
Hart was also named an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup this summer at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland from July 5-7.
NEW GATORS
Florida welcomed three newcomers this season in freshmen Rylan Shim (Centreville, Virginia), and Jack Turner (Orlando, Fla.) and All-American transfer Ian Gilligan (Reno, N.V.)
HISTORIC SEASON REWIND
It was a historic season for the Gators in 2022-23 that led to the program's fifth National Championship and 16th SEC Championship.
Florida captured a national title for the first time in 22 years last week as the Gators swept NCAAs with Fred Biondi winning the NCAA Individual Championship. It was the third UF golfer (Nick Gilliam 2001, Bob Murphy 1966) to achieve the honor and second time in 30 years the program swept both titles. Florida is one of seven schools to achieve the mark twice. The Gators won the NCAA team title, individual title and conference title in the same season for the first time in program history.
Head Coach J.C. Deacon was tabbed both the SEC and National Coach of the Year for the first time in his career as assistant coach Dudley Hart earned National Assistant Coach of the Year. It was the first time in history that UF won both awards in the same season.
UF reached match play at nationals for the first time in program history after playing in the fourth round of stroke play for the fifth time overall. Florida finished stroke play in 2nd with a score of 1118 (-2), its lowest all-time at Grayhawk and first under par team score at the NCAAs since 2006. The 1,118 was the lowest round score at the National Championships in program history. A final round of 279 (-1) marks the third consecutive under round after back-to-back 2-under 278s in round two and three. The 2-under performance by UF is the best round at the NCAA Championships since the opening round in 2007.
Florida made its 56th NCAA Championship appearance this year, ranking fifth most in the country after a third-round comeback at Bath Regional saw Florida erase a seven-shot deficit led by a trio of rounds in the 60s by Yuxin Lin (66, -5), John DuBois (69, -2) and Ricky Castillo (69, -2).
The Gators won the SEC Championship title for the first time in 12 years. The Gators got revenge and defeated No. 1 Vanderbilt 3-1-1 at Sea Island after falling 3-2 in 2022. Senior John DuBois, the 2022 SEC Individual Champion, sank a 15-footer for the match-clinching point.
Florida claimed six team titles and six individual titles this season, the most since seven in 2003-04 as it was the sixth time the Gators have won at least six events in a season. The six medalist honors tied the program record in a season and only the third time in Florida history, the others were in 1989-90 and 2010-11.
Prior to the postseason, the Orange and Blue won four regular season tournaments, including the season opener and finale. At the Augusta Haskins Award Invite, Florida finished 39-under par, to tie second all-time in program history by par and only three shots away from the record (-42). At the Gators Invitational, Florida won its home event for the fourth straight year the 29th time overall in the tournament's 46th occurrence.
Four golfers (Fred Biondi, Ricky Castillo, John DuBois and Yuxin Lin) all earned PING All-American honors, tied for the most selections by a school this year and tied the Florida record. It was the seventh time the Gators had four selections with the last time being in 2006. Biondi, Castillo, Lin and Quentin Debove were also selected to the PING All-Region Team. The trio of Biondi, Castillo and Lin collected All-SEC honors with Matthew Kress collecting freshman team recognition.
Success was also obtained off the course with Biondi, DuBois and Quentin Debove being named GCCA All-American Scholars, which marked the third consecutive years with multiple honorees under Deacon and most selections in a single season in program history.
THE TURN
Following play at Sea Island, Florida will learn its NCAA Regional destination on Wednesday, May 1 on Golf Channel. This year's sites are Austin, Texas, Baton Rouge, La., Chapel Hill, N.C., Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., Stanford, Calif. And West Lafayette, Ind.
Dates: Wednesday, April 24 - Sunday, April 28
Location: St. Simons Island, Ga. - Sea Island Golf Club: Seaside Course
Host: SEC
Course Par/Yardage: 70 / 7,005 yards
Format: 54-hole stroke play (18-18-18) and Match Play (3 matches)
Tee Times: 8:50 a.m. on Wednesday and TBA other days
Scoring: Golf Stat
Watch: Semifinals (SECN+) and Finals (SECN)
Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
TEE OFF
The No. 15 Florida men's golf team looks to defend its SEC title at the SEC Championship this week at Sea Island GC.
LINEUP
No. 1 - Ian Gilligan
No. 2 - Matthew Kress
No. 3 - Jack Turner
No. 4 - Parker Bell
No. 5 - Tyler Wilkes
Alternate - Luke Poulter
FORMAT
The 2024 event will mark the seventh consecutive in which the championship will feature both stroke and match play, with match play on Saturday (Quarterfinals and Semifinals) and Sunday (Championship). Three rounds of stroke play will occur the opening three days of the championship with the top-8 teams advancing to single-elimination match play.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Gators are tied for second all-time in the SEC with 16 conference championships with LSU. Florida won its first title in 1955 and defended it the following season. From 1988-1996, UF claimed five championships including four consecutive from 1991-1994. The other four years they finished runner-up and third twice.
In the match play portion, Florida is 7-3 all-time with victories over Georgia (2022), Ole Miss (2018, 2023), South Carolina (2017), Texas A&M (2022, 2023) and Vanderbilt (2023).
Last year, it was a match-play finals rematch for the first time with the Gators defeating Vanderbilt 3-1-1. Leading the Gators to its second consecutive trip to the finals was Matthew Kress, who went 3-0 in match play and won match-clinching points in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
COMPETING TEAMS (Top-25 NCAA Rankings)
No. 9 Alabama, No. 11 Arkansas, No. 1 Auburn, No. 15 Florida, No. 23 Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, No. 5 Ole Miss, South Carolina, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 22 Texas A&M and No. 2 Vanderbilt.
LAST TIME OUT
Florida closed the regular season with its sixth win of the season at the Calusa Cup, marking back-to-back wins to end the spring.
Freshman Jack Turner led the lineup with a third-place finish and score of 212 (-4) to earn his second SEC Freshman Golfer of the Week award. The performance was his fifth top-14 of the season in six starts and has shot under-par last three consecutive events. He finished two shots behind the individual winner, Scotty Kennon of Wake Forest who set the tournament record at 6-under.
All six Gators ended in the top-20 with Matthew Kress taking 8th with a mark of 217 (+1). He and Ian Gilligan both gave UF counting rounds of 71 (-1) today. Gilligan placed T16 for his ninth top-21 of the season as Luke Poulter (I) also finished T16.
DOMINANT SPRING
After a shaky fall, the Gators responded with five wins in the spring to total six on the season. Florida recorded consecutive seasons with six wins for the first time since 1973-74 and 1974-75.
UF ended the spring portion of the season with five tournament wins and a 4th place finish at the Southern Highlands Collegiate, that featured Ian Gilligan winning medalist honors and earning an exemption into the PGA Tour's 2024 Shriners Open in October.
The Orange and Blue have now claimed 27 team titles under head coach J.C. Deacon in 10 seasons. This is the seventh season under Deacon UF has won multiple tournaments in a year and fourth of three-plus. Six tournament wins in a season is tied for the most under Deacon, which came last season and included an SEC and National Championship.
Of the last six rounds, Florida has held the team lead and continued this week for a six-shot victory at Calusa Pines Golf Club. In the four stroke play tournament wins this spring, the Gators won by a combined 28 strokes. UF won the Pablo Collegiate Cup over Jacksonville 6-1 to start the spring season.
HASKINS WATCH LIST
Ian Gilligan was named to the first Spring Haskins Award Watch List, honoring the best golfer in collegiate golf. Gilligan has had a hot start to the spring with finishes of 2-3-1 and match play win in the first four spring events.
He won his fifth collegiate tournament and first as a Gator, at the Southern Highlands Collegiate. The victory also earned him an exemption into the PGA Tour's 2024 Shriners Open and back-to-back SEC Golfer of the Week honors.
FALL RECAP
UF highlighted the first half of the season with the victory at the Georgetown Intercollegiate with a 17-shot victory behind Matthew Kress' first collegiate victory and the 22nd all-time under head coach J.C. Deacon.
Kress leads the team in stroke average (70.8) followed behind transfer Ian Gilligan, who are both tied for a team-best four top-25 finishes out of five fall tournaments.
PROMOTED
Prior to the 2023-24 season getting underway, head coach J.C. Deacon announced the promotion of Gator Great and assistant coach Dudley Hart to Associate Head Coach.
Hart was also named an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup this summer at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland from July 5-7.
NEW GATORS
Florida welcomed three newcomers this season in freshmen Rylan Shim (Centreville, Virginia), and Jack Turner (Orlando, Fla.) and All-American transfer Ian Gilligan (Reno, N.V.)
HISTORIC SEASON REWIND
It was a historic season for the Gators in 2022-23 that led to the program's fifth National Championship and 16th SEC Championship.
Florida captured a national title for the first time in 22 years last week as the Gators swept NCAAs with Fred Biondi winning the NCAA Individual Championship. It was the third UF golfer (Nick Gilliam 2001, Bob Murphy 1966) to achieve the honor and second time in 30 years the program swept both titles. Florida is one of seven schools to achieve the mark twice. The Gators won the NCAA team title, individual title and conference title in the same season for the first time in program history.
Head Coach J.C. Deacon was tabbed both the SEC and National Coach of the Year for the first time in his career as assistant coach Dudley Hart earned National Assistant Coach of the Year. It was the first time in history that UF won both awards in the same season.
UF reached match play at nationals for the first time in program history after playing in the fourth round of stroke play for the fifth time overall. Florida finished stroke play in 2nd with a score of 1118 (-2), its lowest all-time at Grayhawk and first under par team score at the NCAAs since 2006. The 1,118 was the lowest round score at the National Championships in program history. A final round of 279 (-1) marks the third consecutive under round after back-to-back 2-under 278s in round two and three. The 2-under performance by UF is the best round at the NCAA Championships since the opening round in 2007.
Florida made its 56th NCAA Championship appearance this year, ranking fifth most in the country after a third-round comeback at Bath Regional saw Florida erase a seven-shot deficit led by a trio of rounds in the 60s by Yuxin Lin (66, -5), John DuBois (69, -2) and Ricky Castillo (69, -2).
The Gators won the SEC Championship title for the first time in 12 years. The Gators got revenge and defeated No. 1 Vanderbilt 3-1-1 at Sea Island after falling 3-2 in 2022. Senior John DuBois, the 2022 SEC Individual Champion, sank a 15-footer for the match-clinching point.
Florida claimed six team titles and six individual titles this season, the most since seven in 2003-04 as it was the sixth time the Gators have won at least six events in a season. The six medalist honors tied the program record in a season and only the third time in Florida history, the others were in 1989-90 and 2010-11.
Prior to the postseason, the Orange and Blue won four regular season tournaments, including the season opener and finale. At the Augusta Haskins Award Invite, Florida finished 39-under par, to tie second all-time in program history by par and only three shots away from the record (-42). At the Gators Invitational, Florida won its home event for the fourth straight year the 29th time overall in the tournament's 46th occurrence.
Four golfers (Fred Biondi, Ricky Castillo, John DuBois and Yuxin Lin) all earned PING All-American honors, tied for the most selections by a school this year and tied the Florida record. It was the seventh time the Gators had four selections with the last time being in 2006. Biondi, Castillo, Lin and Quentin Debove were also selected to the PING All-Region Team. The trio of Biondi, Castillo and Lin collected All-SEC honors with Matthew Kress collecting freshman team recognition.
Success was also obtained off the course with Biondi, DuBois and Quentin Debove being named GCCA All-American Scholars, which marked the third consecutive years with multiple honorees under Deacon and most selections in a single season in program history.
THE TURN
Following play at Sea Island, Florida will learn its NCAA Regional destination on Wednesday, May 1 on Golf Channel. This year's sites are Austin, Texas, Baton Rouge, La., Chapel Hill, N.C., Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., Stanford, Calif. And West Lafayette, Ind.
Players Mentioned
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