Florida Men’s Golf Rise to No. 3 After Fourth Straight Win
After winning the 49th Gators Invitational against a stacked field that included the two most recent national championship programs, the Florida men’s golf team climbed to No. 3 in the official NCAA Rankings.
The Gators finished the weekend at Mark Bostick Golf Course 27-under with a 14-shot victory over No. 2 Auburn and 25 shots ahead of No. 12 Oklahoma. The tournament marked the team’s fourth consecutive tournament victory this season – tied for the third-longest in program history since UF last achieved the mark in the 1995-96 season.
Winning the home tournament marked Florida’s 32nd Gators Invitational team title in the event’s 49-year history and extended the program’s streak to seven consecutive wins at its home tournament. That streak ranks third all-time in tournament history, behind Florida’s eight straight wins from 2004-11 and nine straight from 1989-97.
The tournament title was the 36th of coach J.C. Deacon’s tenure and Florida’s 813 total score ranks as his third-lowest at the Gators Invitational.
“It didn’t feel easy,” Deacon said after the tournament. “But the special thing with this team is if we take care of our business and play our best, I think we know we can beat anyone.”
All five golfers in Florida’s lineup finished under par, led by junior Noah Kent and senior Matthew Kress.
Kent shot 68 (-2) in all three rounds and led the tournament with 17 birdies in his first home tournament appearance in the lineup, as Kress matched him tying his career-low 54-hole score at 204 (-6).
“It just shows that we are one of the best teams in the country,” Kent said after beating No. 2 Auburn. “To put them down by a couple shots is pretty cool, especially on your home turf.”
The Gators will make their next tournament appearance in Las Vegas at the Southern Highlands Collegiate from March 1-3, and then have two remaining regular season events in the Pauma Valley Invitational (March 16-18) and Calusa Cup (April 5-7).
Category: Gators Men's Golf
