Gators Men’s Golf Win Bremerton Regional, Advance to National Championship

Florida men’s golf remained at the top of the leaderboard throughout the NCAA Bremerton Regional, punching a ticket to familiar territory – a fifth straight national championship appearance.

Team Performance

The Gators wrapped up the third day of competition with a 3-under-par performance, securing a final score of 28-under-par for the tournament.

Florida began the day with a commanding nine-shot lead and sat 31 shots clear of the championship cut. The Gators posted a 3-under 285 in the final round, finishing with a 54-hole total of 28-under 836.

Head Coach J.C. Deacon is happy for his guys but already has sights on the next step, winning a second national championship in three years.

“We have really special culture and tradition at Florida right now. The expectations are as high as they’ve ever been, and these guys all embrace that. That’s why they come here, to be a part of something special,” said Deacon. “To try be the absolute best, and playing well this week, we got a chance to win. So we are going to enjoy the win for the five minutes then right back to focusing on how we can win a championship next week.”

Florida’s second-round score of 16-under was the sixth-lowest round in NCAA Regional history and the best since a 17-under final round in 2018.

The team’s overall score ranks as the eighth-lowest in NCAA Regional history and the third-lowest ever recorded by the program.

Individually, Matthew Kress led the team with a runner-up finish. He shot 1-under 71 in the final round, ending at 11-under for the tournament. Kress is peaking at the perfect time and showed perseverance through January struggles.

“To say I’m proud of Matthew Kress, doesn’t do it justice. Whatever’s in his way, he works through it. He was in a really tough spot in January, wasn’t playing well. Was out of the lineup, in the individual spot, and not happy. I wasn’t happy. Nobody was happy. But he just keeps waking up early every morning and going to bed early every night thinking about how he’s going to get better, and he’s certainly gotten better,” said Deacon.

Senior Ian Gilligan bounced back from a tough second round, where he shot 8-over 80. He closed with a 2-under 70 to finish tied for 37th.

Redshirt sophomore Luke Poulter impressed in his first career regional appearance. He shot a career-best 10-under 206 to tie for fourth, just two strokes behind the leaders.

Sophomore Jack Turner remained consistent in postseason play. He tied for 12th at 2-under-par, extending his streak of top-23 finishes.

Zack Swanwick closed the event at 3-over, tied for 20th.

This marks Florida’s second postseason title this year, having already won the SEC Championship in April. It’s the first time since 2011—and just the fourth time in program history (also in 1989 and 1992)—that Florida has captured both the conference and regional titles in the same season.

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 🏆🐊

Florida wins at 28-under and advances to their fifth straight National Championship 🏆 #GoGators 🐊 x @FloridaGators pic.twitter.com/jBSzrd8uSS

— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) May 14, 2025

Overall Leaderboard

The five teams advancing to the NCAA Championship are Florida (-28), Arizona State (-25), Colorado (-4), USF (-2), and South Carolina (E). These squads secured spots after strong performances throughout the regional.

Advancing as an individual is Utah’s Braxton Watts, who delivered an impressive performance by carding a 12-under-par overall score to win the individual title.

From the coast to the mountains 🏆

Only Gators Get Out Alive. 🐊 pic.twitter.com/TbsbuWaUOn

— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) May 15, 2025

Up Next

With this performance, Florida secures its 58th NCAA Championship appearance and fifth in a row.

The Gators have now qualified for nationals in 20 of the last 23 seasons. Its 58 total appearances are tied for the fourth-most in NCAA history.

The NCAA Championship is set for May 23-28 at the Omni La Costa: North Course in Carlsbad, Calif.