Gators Represented Well in Preseason Polls
Friday, August 29, 2025 | Men's Golf, Women's Golf
The Florida men’s golf team was tabbed No. 4/5 and the women No. 10/12 with four golfers named Preseason All-Americans.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Florida golf teams are represented well in this year's preseason rankings and polls ahead of the 2025-26 season.
On the men's side, UF was selected No. 4 by the GCAA Coach's Poll and Golf Channel while tabbed No. 5 by Golfweek. The women earned the No. 10 spot from Golf Channel and No. 12 via Golfweek.
Additionally, four Gators collected Preseason All-America honors via Paula Francisco (Golf Channel Third Team), Luke Poulter (Golf Channel and Golfweek Second Team), Jack Turner (Golf Channel and Golfweek Third Team) and Zack Swanwick (Golf Channel Third Team).
Both teams are in action next week with the men traveling to the Sahalee Players Championship (Sept. 6-7) and women at the Cougar Classic (Sept. 8-9).
What They Are Saying - Golf Channel's Brentley Romine:
For the second straight season, head coach J.C. Deacon arguably has the deepest squad in the country. Last spring, that depth resulted in an NCAA semifinals appearance to cap a season that featured five wins, including an SEC title and NCAA regional crown. While this year's squad might be even deeper (nine guys qualified for the U.S. Amateur), there is a lack of a clear superstar following the departure of Gilligan to the pros. Poulter and Turner are the most likely No. 1's. Poulter missed seven months with a stress fracture in his back last year, but returned in a big way in January and now will represent GB&I in the Walker Cup. Turner ascended to No. 10 in WAGR after six top-10s last season, though he's cooled this summer. Swanwick should be on everyone's radar as a potential breakout candidate after reaching the semifinals of the Western this summer; the key for him will be to improve around and on the greens. "Ball-striking-wise, man, I don't ever want to say anyone is the best, but he's close to one of the best in college golf," Deacon said of the Kiwi. Kress got off to a rough start last fall, but he rallied with five top-10s in the spring, including a runner-up at regionals a T-9 at La Costa. Everyone on the roster should play some, though let's tab Bai, who was supposed to enroll last January, and Kent, last year's U.S. Amateur runner-up who transferred from Iowa last spring, as two to keep an eye on. Kent, in particular, has a massive ceiling thanks to insane speed and great touch; he could flourish with further tutelage under Deacon and assistant Dudley Hart.
It was a strange end to the season as Florida was the SEC runner-up and later qualified for its first NCAA Championship since 2019 but then had a bizarre penalty at nationals after Francisco took a shuttle to the wrong starting tee at La Costa and was late for her tee time. Luckily, that wasn't the difference in the five-win Gators making the 54-hole cut (they finished 17th), but hopefully for head coach Emily Glaser, it's a lesson that will bolster Francisco and the rest of her team. "They got a little taste of it, and what I've seen is they're pretty motivated by last year," Glaser said. "They have the realization that they can be a special team and a contender." Francisco will be counted on to lead the way. She was runner-up at the NCAA Charlottesville Regional last spring, one of her seven top-20s as a sophomore, and she made the quarterfinals of the Women's British Amateur and was T-11 at the European Ladies this summer. It just boils down to how comfortable she is in the spotlight. Propeck adds a maturity that Glaser has never seen before and should be the team's leader while contributing reliable scores – she had top-5s in all three postseason events last spring for Virginia and was recently runner-up at the Kansas Women's Amateur. Archer matched Francisco's four top-10s last season, and Klonowski had a team-high 10 top-25s as a freshman. Wu showed she's bounced back from a wrist injury that knocked her out of the second half of last spring, winning the Florida Women's Amateur and making match play at the U.S. Women's Amateur. Huber was T-118 at the U.S. Girls' Junior, but she's apparently arrived on campus playing some nice golf and could crack some early lineups.
On the men's side, UF was selected No. 4 by the GCAA Coach's Poll and Golf Channel while tabbed No. 5 by Golfweek. The women earned the No. 10 spot from Golf Channel and No. 12 via Golfweek.
Additionally, four Gators collected Preseason All-America honors via Paula Francisco (Golf Channel Third Team), Luke Poulter (Golf Channel and Golfweek Second Team), Jack Turner (Golf Channel and Golfweek Third Team) and Zack Swanwick (Golf Channel Third Team).
Both teams are in action next week with the men traveling to the Sahalee Players Championship (Sept. 6-7) and women at the Cougar Classic (Sept. 8-9).
What They Are Saying - Golf Channel's Brentley Romine:
For the second straight season, head coach J.C. Deacon arguably has the deepest squad in the country. Last spring, that depth resulted in an NCAA semifinals appearance to cap a season that featured five wins, including an SEC title and NCAA regional crown. While this year's squad might be even deeper (nine guys qualified for the U.S. Amateur), there is a lack of a clear superstar following the departure of Gilligan to the pros. Poulter and Turner are the most likely No. 1's. Poulter missed seven months with a stress fracture in his back last year, but returned in a big way in January and now will represent GB&I in the Walker Cup. Turner ascended to No. 10 in WAGR after six top-10s last season, though he's cooled this summer. Swanwick should be on everyone's radar as a potential breakout candidate after reaching the semifinals of the Western this summer; the key for him will be to improve around and on the greens. "Ball-striking-wise, man, I don't ever want to say anyone is the best, but he's close to one of the best in college golf," Deacon said of the Kiwi. Kress got off to a rough start last fall, but he rallied with five top-10s in the spring, including a runner-up at regionals a T-9 at La Costa. Everyone on the roster should play some, though let's tab Bai, who was supposed to enroll last January, and Kent, last year's U.S. Amateur runner-up who transferred from Iowa last spring, as two to keep an eye on. Kent, in particular, has a massive ceiling thanks to insane speed and great touch; he could flourish with further tutelage under Deacon and assistant Dudley Hart.
It was a strange end to the season as Florida was the SEC runner-up and later qualified for its first NCAA Championship since 2019 but then had a bizarre penalty at nationals after Francisco took a shuttle to the wrong starting tee at La Costa and was late for her tee time. Luckily, that wasn't the difference in the five-win Gators making the 54-hole cut (they finished 17th), but hopefully for head coach Emily Glaser, it's a lesson that will bolster Francisco and the rest of her team. "They got a little taste of it, and what I've seen is they're pretty motivated by last year," Glaser said. "They have the realization that they can be a special team and a contender." Francisco will be counted on to lead the way. She was runner-up at the NCAA Charlottesville Regional last spring, one of her seven top-20s as a sophomore, and she made the quarterfinals of the Women's British Amateur and was T-11 at the European Ladies this summer. It just boils down to how comfortable she is in the spotlight. Propeck adds a maturity that Glaser has never seen before and should be the team's leader while contributing reliable scores – she had top-5s in all three postseason events last spring for Virginia and was recently runner-up at the Kansas Women's Amateur. Archer matched Francisco's four top-10s last season, and Klonowski had a team-high 10 top-25s as a freshman. Wu showed she's bounced back from a wrist injury that knocked her out of the second half of last spring, winning the Florida Women's Amateur and making match play at the U.S. Women's Amateur. Huber was T-118 at the U.S. Girls' Junior, but she's apparently arrived on campus playing some nice golf and could crack some early lineups.
Players Mentioned
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