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Friday morning, the Gators men’s golf team began the NCAA Golf National Championship at Grayhawk Golf Course in Scottsdale, Arizona. The team tee’d off at 9:10 a.m. and is currently three-under par. After trailing by five strokes on the final day of the Bath Regional, the Gators were able to comeback in the final round to earn a spot in the championship and come into the tournament as a No. 9 seed.
https://twitter.com/GatorsGolf/status/1661829710714896384
Course Changes
Florida has seen a change of scenery in the NCAA tournament being placed in a regional in Bath, Michigan. Now, the team heads out West to Arizona, playing at Grayhawk Golf Course in Scottsdale.
Beautiful day here at @GrayhawkGolf ☀️ pic.twitter.com/IvqA9Rdgyt
— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) May 26, 2023
Head coach J.C. Deacon said he expects his team to be hitting the ball 15-20 ft further, adding a golf ball goes three feet further per degree of heat.
When asked about the challenges of a course change, this is what he had to say:
Golf Head Coach
Deacon is in his ninth season with the Gators. Coming off of a successful regular season, where Florida won the SEC Tournament, Deacon talked about the importance of preparation before a tournament.
Opponents
Thirty teams are competing for the championship trophy. The Gators are one of eight SEC teams to make it to the championship. Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Auburn are the other conference teams playing in Scottsdale.
Vanderbilt is the No. 1 seed coming into tournament play, and Florida is the only other SEC team ranked as a Top 10 seed.
Fred Biondi, Ricky Castillo, Yuxin Lin, John DuBois, Matthew Kress and Ryan Hart will represent the Gators in an attempt to bring home a National Championship.
The Weekend
The Gators will play up until Monday, looking to finish in the Top-8 to advance to the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Florida is looking to claim its first team and player National Championship since 2001.
