Saturday, September 7
Seattle, Wash. / Sahalee Country Club
10:20 a.m. | (36 holes)
Florida Gators
at
Sahalee Players Championship
Gators Start Season at Sahalee
Friday, September 6, 2024 | Men's Golf
Florida tees off the opening round of the 2024-25 season on Saturday.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 7 - Sunday, Sept. 8
Location: Seattle, Wash. - Sahalee Country Club
Host: University of Washington
Course Par/Yardage: 72 / 7,007 yards
Format: 36 holes Saturday & 18 holes Sunday
Tee Times: 10:20 a.m. on Saturday and TBA Sunday
Scoring: Golfstat
Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Florida is set to make its tournament debut at the Sahalee Players Championship.
COMPETING TEAMS (Golf Channel Top-25)
No. 15 Arizona, No. 7 Arizona State, No. 14 Duke, No. 8 Florida, Northwestern, No. 16 North Carolina, No. 17 Oklahoma State, Oregon, No. 21 Pepperdine, TCU, No. 13 Texas A&M, host Washington and UNLV.
A SEASON AGO
Following Florida's SEC and National Championship titles, the Gators featured a new look lineup while three First-Team All-Americans - Fred Biondi (NCAA Individual Champion), Ricky Castillo and Yuxin Lin - all departed. Returning from the championship teams was John DuBois and Matthew Kress.
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. It marked 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.
The new look Gators left their mark in the postseason. At the SEC Championship, UF was led by true freshman Jack Turner, who posted a team-best T2 finish in his first conference tournament start. The performance ties the second-best finish by a Gator true freshman at the SEC Championship with Camilo Villegas, who placed T2 in 2001. Vanderbilt and Florida meet for the third straight season in match play at SECs with the Commodores edging out the Gators 3-2 in extra holes in the quarterfinals.
Moving to NCAA Regional play in West Lafayette, Florida entered round three in the final advancing spot by four-shot. The Gators shot a final round of 2-under to take 3rd and make the cut by 12 strokes. Through the first hour-and-half in the final rounds, teams battled rainy and cold conditions. Florida put together great start and setup for success when the rain stopped, with a combined 1-under on the first hole (#10) and was even-par on counting scores through the first five holes in the rain.
Florida made a charge in the final nine holes after finding itself 1-over at the turn and only a four-shot advantage over Indiana, who had just teed off its round its. The Florida separation began with a trio of birdies from Parker Bell, John DuBois and Ian Gilligan. Then Jack Turner put the Hoosiers and Mississippi State's comeback efforts out of reach with a birdie on six to go up by 10 shots and into fourth place.
At the NCAA National Championship, Florida concluded with an 11th-place finish and battled for back-to-back match play appearances. An important 1-under 287 third round helped advance Florida to the final round of stroke play for the third consecutive season. The Gators started the day in eighth, and in the final match-play spot with a one-shot advantage. The Orange and Blue continued its streak of five straight top-11 finishes after winning the national title - 1974: 2nd, 1994: 3rd, 1969: T5 and 2002: T11.
SUMMER RECAP
Across the board, the Gators captured success this summer, highlighted by securing three spots i the 2024 Western Amateur Semifinals by Parker Bell, Ian Gilligan and Jack Turner. Gilligan and Turner met in a marathon final with Gilligan winning in the 29-hole final. The victory also marked a Gator sweep of the Western with incoming freshman Parker Sands winning the Western Junior.
Bell made his major debut in the U.S. Open and made the first birdie of the tournament and was the leader at one point. He shot a final round of 70 and led the field in driving distance of 346.9 compared to 310.9 in the first two rounds. The junior also finished 4th at the Southern Amateur.
Gilligan made his PGA Tour Debut at the Barracuda Championship, making the cut and finishing T40. He also was part of Team USA's victory at the Arnold Palmer Cup and reached the quarterfinals of the North & South Amateur.
Redshirt-freshman Rylan Shim closed out the summer with a 3rd place outing at the Canadian Amateur to go with a semifinals berth at the VSGA (Virginia State Golf Association) Amateur.
Ryan Hart collected medalist honors at Wykagyl Country Club to secure a spot in the U.S. Amateur.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION
UF was tabbed No. 8 in the Golf Channel preseason rankings along with Parker Bell and Ian Gilligan named preseason all-americans by the network.
Gilligan also earned a spot on the Haskins Award Fall Watch List and was tabbed No. 8 in the PGA Tour U Rankings to begin the season.
NEW GATORS
The Orange and Blue welcomed two new golfers this season in Parker Sands (Edmond, Okla.) and Zack Swanwick (Hawke's Bay, New Zealand). This summer, Sands won the 2024 Western Junior and the OGA (Oklahoma Golf Association) Junior Championship. Swanwick was the low amateur at the New Zealand Open and placed 3rd at the 2024 Austrian Masters of Amateur.
THE TURN
The Gators head to Olympia Fields for the Fighting Illini Collegiate from Sept. 20-22.
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 7 - Sunday, Sept. 8
Location: Seattle, Wash. - Sahalee Country Club
Host: University of Washington
Course Par/Yardage: 72 / 7,007 yards
Format: 36 holes Saturday & 18 holes Sunday
Tee Times: 10:20 a.m. on Saturday and TBA Sunday
Scoring: Golfstat
Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Florida is set to make its tournament debut at the Sahalee Players Championship.
COMPETING TEAMS (Golf Channel Top-25)
No. 15 Arizona, No. 7 Arizona State, No. 14 Duke, No. 8 Florida, Northwestern, No. 16 North Carolina, No. 17 Oklahoma State, Oregon, No. 21 Pepperdine, TCU, No. 13 Texas A&M, host Washington and UNLV.
A SEASON AGO
Following Florida's SEC and National Championship titles, the Gators featured a new look lineup while three First-Team All-Americans - Fred Biondi (NCAA Individual Champion), Ricky Castillo and Yuxin Lin - all departed. Returning from the championship teams was John DuBois and Matthew Kress.
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. It marked 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.
The new look Gators left their mark in the postseason. At the SEC Championship, UF was led by true freshman Jack Turner, who posted a team-best T2 finish in his first conference tournament start. The performance ties the second-best finish by a Gator true freshman at the SEC Championship with Camilo Villegas, who placed T2 in 2001. Vanderbilt and Florida meet for the third straight season in match play at SECs with the Commodores edging out the Gators 3-2 in extra holes in the quarterfinals.
Moving to NCAA Regional play in West Lafayette, Florida entered round three in the final advancing spot by four-shot. The Gators shot a final round of 2-under to take 3rd and make the cut by 12 strokes. Through the first hour-and-half in the final rounds, teams battled rainy and cold conditions. Florida put together great start and setup for success when the rain stopped, with a combined 1-under on the first hole (#10) and was even-par on counting scores through the first five holes in the rain.
Florida made a charge in the final nine holes after finding itself 1-over at the turn and only a four-shot advantage over Indiana, who had just teed off its round its. The Florida separation began with a trio of birdies from Parker Bell, John DuBois and Ian Gilligan. Then Jack Turner put the Hoosiers and Mississippi State's comeback efforts out of reach with a birdie on six to go up by 10 shots and into fourth place.
At the NCAA National Championship, Florida concluded with an 11th-place finish and battled for back-to-back match play appearances. An important 1-under 287 third round helped advance Florida to the final round of stroke play for the third consecutive season. The Gators started the day in eighth, and in the final match-play spot with a one-shot advantage. The Orange and Blue continued its streak of five straight top-11 finishes after winning the national title - 1974: 2nd, 1994: 3rd, 1969: T5 and 2002: T11.
SUMMER RECAP
Across the board, the Gators captured success this summer, highlighted by securing three spots i the 2024 Western Amateur Semifinals by Parker Bell, Ian Gilligan and Jack Turner. Gilligan and Turner met in a marathon final with Gilligan winning in the 29-hole final. The victory also marked a Gator sweep of the Western with incoming freshman Parker Sands winning the Western Junior.
Bell made his major debut in the U.S. Open and made the first birdie of the tournament and was the leader at one point. He shot a final round of 70 and led the field in driving distance of 346.9 compared to 310.9 in the first two rounds. The junior also finished 4th at the Southern Amateur.
Gilligan made his PGA Tour Debut at the Barracuda Championship, making the cut and finishing T40. He also was part of Team USA's victory at the Arnold Palmer Cup and reached the quarterfinals of the North & South Amateur.
Redshirt-freshman Rylan Shim closed out the summer with a 3rd place outing at the Canadian Amateur to go with a semifinals berth at the VSGA (Virginia State Golf Association) Amateur.
Ryan Hart collected medalist honors at Wykagyl Country Club to secure a spot in the U.S. Amateur.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION
UF was tabbed No. 8 in the Golf Channel preseason rankings along with Parker Bell and Ian Gilligan named preseason all-americans by the network.
Gilligan also earned a spot on the Haskins Award Fall Watch List and was tabbed No. 8 in the PGA Tour U Rankings to begin the season.
NEW GATORS
The Orange and Blue welcomed two new golfers this season in Parker Sands (Edmond, Okla.) and Zack Swanwick (Hawke's Bay, New Zealand). This summer, Sands won the 2024 Western Junior and the OGA (Oklahoma Golf Association) Junior Championship. Swanwick was the low amateur at the New Zealand Open and placed 3rd at the 2024 Austrian Masters of Amateur.
THE TURN
The Gators head to Olympia Fields for the Fighting Illini Collegiate from Sept. 20-22.
Players Mentioned
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