Gators Men’s Golf Tees Off in Las Vegas
No. 3 Gators men’s golf ups the ante at a star-studded table in its return to Las Vegas.
Florida enters Sunday’s Southern Highlands Collegiate hosted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on a four-tournament win streak.
The Gators elevated their former-No. 10 ranking to its top-three position after claiming its seventh-straight Gators Invitational on Feb. 14 and 15. Florida bested the No. 2 Auburn Tigers with an impressive -14 second round to take the lead, winning by this margin.
In last year’s Southern Highlands Collegiate, the Gators finished tied for fifth with a score of +19. It was the Tigers who took the trophy in this tournament with -9.
Although this match serves as a revenge opportunity for the Gators, the presence of No. 1 Virginia and No. 4 Texas cannot be ignored. Likewise, the opposing 14 teams will be forced to notice Florida senior Matthew Kress, who placed ninth as an independent in last year’s tournament.
Kress finished tied for third in the Gators Invitational with -6, playing a pivotal role in the win. Tied with Kress was Iowa transfer Noah Kent, who is also a new face for the Gators in Vegas.
The junior earned a Masters Tournament invitation in 2025 and leads the team in average score (71.2) since joining in December.
Orlando native Jack Turner looks to improve upon an impressive eighth place individual performance at Las Vegas in 2025. The junior is a reliable player in the rotation, counting a team-high 83.3% of his rounds, which ties Kress.
Sophomore Zack Swanwick is the second Gator with experience, as the UNLV tournament was one of the 12 he started in during his freshman campaign. Rounding out the travel lineup is sophomore Parker Sands, who is coming off his best finish at Florida when he tied for seventh in the Gators Invitational.
Freshman Trevor Gutschewski will travel as an independent for Florida and is also coming off his best finish at 10th.
The six players all finished under par in the Gators Invitational. They will carry their impressive finishes from home turf across the country to compete against the rest of the top four on Sunday.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Men's Golf, Golf
