Gilligan Turns In Another Clutch Performance

Ian Gilligan accepts a congratulatory hug following his victory at the Gator Invitational on Sunday afternoon at Mark Bostick Golf Course. (Photo: Lorenzo Vasquez/UAA Communications)

Gilligan Turns In Another Clutch Performance

Monday, February 17, 2025 | Men's Golf, Scott Carter

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In the afterglow of sweeping the team and individual titles on Sunday at the Gator Invitational, Florida head coach J.C. Deacon strolled around the team facility, accepting congratulations for his team's first victory of the season.

The 13th-ranked Gators edged No. 7 Oklahoma State in the team standings, bolstered once more by standout senior Ian Gilligan, who won a two-hole playoff against Charlotte's Justin Matthew to take the individual title.

As the hoopla began to settle down, Deacon was asked a simple question: What makes Gilligan so good? Sunday's victory was Gilligan's sixth as a collegian and second in his two seasons at Florida. He transferred to UF from Long Beach State after the 2023 season.

Deacon mentioned familiar factors such as Gilligan's ball-striking ability and penchant for thriving under pressure. However, Deacon said that at the core of Gilligan's success is a trait that you can't coach. You either have it or you don't.

Florida Gators men's golf at the Gators Invitational on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, FL / UAA Communications photo by Lorenzo Vasquez — **Ian Gilligan** and Gators head coach **J.C. Deacon**. (Photos: **Lorenzo Vasquez**/UAA Communications)

"He has a child-like passion for golf,'' Deacon said. "He just loves the game. He loves talking about shots and practicing and everything it takes."

If you were at Mark Bostick Golf Course on a windy, rainy and chilly Sunday afternoon, you got to see what Deacon is talking about. With the tournament and individual titles hanging in the balance, a storm front swept across the course around noon and dropped the temperature about 20 degrees in seconds. The rain soon followed, and not long after that, a weather delay.

Gilligan had two holes left in regulation when the delay arrived. He parred the 17th, and facing a long uphill approach at the 18th, Gilligan slammed his shot into the middle of the green, leaving a formidable putt to get within distance of an easy par and keep the Gators in the lead by a shot.

"He had to hit his drive in that pouring rain,'' Deacon said. "It was a little low left. He wouldn't like it very much. He still had 227, or something like that, to the flag, which makes that hole play so long up the hill, and with the cold and rain. He hit a beautiful 5-iron right at the flag. Being able to hit that clutch five iron in that moment when he knew the tournament was on the line, I think that says a lot about how much he believes in himself."

The spectators, determined to weather the conditions under their oversized umbrellas, huddled under a large pine tree to help defend against the elements. Gilligan approached his putt as if it was sunny and 80, eyeing it from every angle and chatting with Deacon on the green. He lagged the shot to within five feet and then nailed the par putt to clinch the team title and force a playoff against Matthews to be crowned tournament champion.

"It was just playing super hard because the rain had picked up again,'' Gilligan said. "Pars were going to be good."

Gilligan took the same mindset onto the course for the playoff, which started on the hole he had just played, No. 18. Once again, Gilligan parred, as did Matthews, forcing the duo to head over to No. 1 to extend the playoff.

Gilligan finished third at the Gator Invitational last year, despite finishing 10-under, two strokes better than the 8-under he and Matthews carried into their playoff on Sunday. As he battled Matthews in the difficult conditions, Gilligan carried the memory somewhere in the back of his mind.

"I just tried to hit something in the fairway so I could get some spin,'' he said. "I hit a pretty good in there, probably 15 feet. [Matthews] hit it down, but just off the back [of the green]. I felt I was in a pretty good spot."

Whatever Gilligan was thinking, Deacon had confidence. He watched Gilligan finish second in late January at the Southwestern Invitational in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and saw a player rounding into form for the heart of the season.

"He was looking like a budding superstar,'' Deacon said. "He's got a chance to be really, really special. He's got it all."

Gilligan's steady calmness on the second playoff hole paid off. He nailed his approach shot onto the green and lagged a birdie putt within a few feet, leaving a short putt for par. Meanwhile, Matthews bogeyed, and Gilligan was a champion for the first time since the Southern Highlands Collegiate in February 2024.

He carded rounds of 66-67-69 for the icing on the cake for the Gators' sixth consecutive win at the Gator Invitational, their only home tournament of the season.

"We didn't want to lose on our home turf,'' Gilligan said. "We definitely knew that we hadn't all played our best at the same time, and I still feel we haven't. Everyone was really trying their hardest to try and get a good round in. The guys grinded it out."

No one more than Gilligan, whose passion for the game shone through once more in the most unfriendly conditions.

"I knew it was going to be a test for us,'' Deacon said. "And then you add the weather on top of that, that was perfect. That was what our team needed, the challenge of it all. They were up for it."

Deacon surrounded Gilligan with a lineup of underclassmen over the weekend, using Jack Turner (Soph.), Luke Poulter (Soph.), Rylan Shim (R-Fr.) and Parker Sands (Fr.). Turner and Poulter finished tied for sixth at 3-under with teammate Matthew Kress.

They followed their leader.

Deacon saw it coming. Gilligan had a hunch he was close.

"I think I played good in our tournament two weeks ago in California,'' he said. "I just knew to avoid big mistakes, and I would be in a good spot."