Tag: men’s golf

Trio of Gators men’s golfers named Cobalt Golf All-American Scholars

Gators men’s golf once again found success in the classroom this school year.

The Golf Coaches Association of America announced on Thursday its Cobalt Golf All-American Scholars for the 2023-2024 school year. For the second consecutive season, Florida’s men’s golf team had three golfers named to the team — this time it is [autotag]Parker Bell[/autotag], [autotag]Matthew Kress[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Wilkes[/autotag] who earned the honor.

The academic accolades also mark the fourth straight season with multiple honorees under head coach [autotag]JC Deacon[/autotag] and back-to-back seasons of setting the program record in total selections with three.

Bell was also named to the 2024 SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll as well as the 2022-23 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll. Kress is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient and a member of the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team.

Wilkes graduated from UF this spring with a degree in education sciences and cum laude honors. He was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member for the Gators and SEC All-Freshman Team honoree.

Cobalt Golf Award eligibility

To be eligible for nomination, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically in NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA, or receiving their Associate’s Degree and in their last year of athletic eligibility in the NJCAA.

In addition, they must participate in 50% of their team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0 in NCAA Division I, under 78.0 in NCAA Division II, under 79.0 in NCAA Division III, under 78.0 in NAIA, and under 77.0 in NJCAA, and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2.

A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.

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Highlights from Billy Horschel’s 2nd-place finish at British Open

While Horschel slipped down the stretch, there is plenty ot be proud about in the Gators alumnus’ performance.

Former Florida golf standout [autotag]Billy Horschel[/autotag] finished tied for second at the 152nd British Open at Royal Troon on Sunday after relinquishing a third-round lead to eventual winner Xander Schauffele. He finished at 7-under par alongside England’s Justin Rose in the final tally.

Nonetheless, it was yet another superb effort from the Gators alumnus — one that will make the Orange and Blue proud.

Playing through some brutal Scottish rain, the Horschel put on a short-game clinic on the back-9 to take the solo lead at the 54-hole mark on Saturday. Unfortunately, Schauffele surged into the lead with a sizzling stretch of four birdies in six holes, holding on to win by two strokes.

Below is a look at highlights from Horschel’s efforts in Scotland last weekend.

Florida men’s golf finishes just outside top 10 at NCAA National Championships

It was a good run but the Gators were unable to replicated their title-winning results from last season.

The Florida men’s golf team’s 2024 season came to an end on Monday at the NCAA National Championships held in Carlsbad, California, where it finished 11th.

Florida entered the day in the final match-play spot with a one-stroke advantage but a collapse in the final three holes put them out of reach of the cut line. It was the third straight year that the Orange and Blue made it to the final round of stroke play.

[autotag]John DuBois[/autotag]finished the 2024 campaign with a 1-under 71 for a T23 finish — his second top-23 finish at NCAAs after finishing T18 in 2023. He played in 41 tournaments and 124 rounds for the Gators during the course of his collegiate career.

[autotag]Jack Turner[/autotag] became the sixth Florida freshman to finish top-23 at the NCAAs since 2001, joining ranks of [autotag]Billy Horschel[/autotag], [autotag]Sam Horsfield[/autotag], [autotag]Matt Every[/autotag] and [autotag]Camilo Villegas[/autotag]. He carded a final round of 1-over 73 resulting in a 72-hole score of 3-over 291 and T23 performance.

Florida continued its streak of five straight top-11 finishes after winning the national title: 1974 (2nd); 1994 (3rd); 1969 (T5); 2002 (T11).

“Our entire team has become hard-working, resilient and successful young men,” head coach J.C. Deacon offered after the match.

“They have invested everything into each other and our Florida Gators golf program. That’s all we can ever ask. Sometimes, it just doesn’t work out. Things didn’t go our way down the stretch but we played a lot of great golf this week to be in position with three holes to go.

“We just couldn’t finish it off and I know exactly how hungry that’s going to leave this exciting young team. We will be back.”

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Florida men’s golf earns No. 3 seed in West Lafayette Regional

It is the fourth straight year UF has been a top-three seed in regionals and the seventh time under head coach J.C. Deacon.

The NCAA in conjunction with the Golf Channel announced on Wednesday the regional hosts and seedings for this year’s men’s golf tournament.

The Florida Gators found out that they will be playing in the West Lafayette Region as a No. 3 seed this year. It is the fourth straight year the Gators have been a top-three seed in regionals and the seventh time under head coach J.C. Deacon.

The Orange and Blue have qualified for 34 of the 35 all-time men’s golf regionals and every year under Deacon since winning the inaugural East Regional (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) in 1989. UF has claimed a total of six team titles (1989, 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2018) and six individual titles — Brain Gay (1993), Brad Lehmann (1994), Camilo Villegas (2001), Billy Horschel (2006 & 2007) and Andy Zhang (2018).

Tournament details

A total of 81 teams and 45 individuals (not on a competing team) will play across six regional hosts: LSU, North Carolina, Purdue, San Diego, Stanford and Texas. Three regional sites will have 13 teams and 10 individuals, and three will have 14 teams and five individuals.

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Gators men’s golf promotes assistant coach to associate head coach

This two-time 2023 award-winning assistant just got a big promotion with the Gators.

Florida’s men’s golf team made a big move on Thursday when head coach J.C. Deacon announced the promotion of [autotag]Dudley Hart[/autotag] to associate head coach. Hart had spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach after spending four years (2017-20) as Florida’s volunteer assistant.

The 2023 campaign was a historic one for the Orange and Blue, earning the program’s fifth National Championship and 16th SEC Championship thanks in large part to the assistant’s efforts. He was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year as well as the Jan Strickland Outstanding Assistant Coach of the Year that season.

“We are honored to name Dudley Hart our Associate Head Coach,” said Deacon. “Since arriving full-time in Gainesville, he has given his heart and soul to our players, this program, and the University of Florida. His work ethic and commitment to excellence defines what I think a great coach looks like. I am very proud of what we have accomplished together and look forward to chasing more championships with him going forward.”

The men’s golf team tees off for its fall schedule from Sept. 15-17, when they participate in the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational at the Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois.

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PHOTOS: Gators men’s golf earns first national championship since 2001

The victory marks the 46th all-time NCAA title for Florida.

Florida men’s golf team celebrated its second championship in less than a week on Wednesday, prevailing in the 2023 NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, for the program’s first national title since 2001.

Senior Fred Biondi — just three days removed from winning the NCAA individual title — scored a par on the 18th and final hole, giving the Gators their fifth national championship as a team. The native of São Paulo deflected the attention he earned from his clinching putt, instead, highlighting the euphoria that comes with winning as a cohesive unit.

“Winning as a team means so much more. It’s awesome that we did this together,” Biondi told FloridaGators.com. “It’s not just me closing it out, it’s every single person back home, back in the gym, the people back home cheering, the coaches on this staff, just everyone involved. It’s their championship, too.”

The victory marks the 46th all-time NCAA title for Florida. The men’s golf program became the Orange and Blue’s fourth with five or more team championships, joining men’s indoor and outdoor track and field (five each) and women’s tennis (seven). Men’s golf captured the first NCAA title in Florida history in 1968.

Take a look below at a plethora of photo highlights from the Gators’ most recent national title.

Men’s golf 2022-2023 schedule released

A look at the upcoming schedule for the men’s golf team.

The complete 2022-2023 men’s golf schedule was released yesterday afternoon as Brian Kortan begins his tenure as the head coach for the Aggies. Coach Kortan served as the program’s interim head coach from 2020-2021 in which the 2021 season saw the Aggies reach the NCAA Albuquerque Regional.

In the fall, the Aggies play at the Badger Invitational Sunday, September 11-Tuesday, September 13 at University Ridge Golf Course. The SEC Match Play Championship takes place Sunday, September 25 – Tuesday, September 27 at the Old Overton Club. Two final fall events take place in October – the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, at The Blessings Golf Club, and the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate, at The Golf Club of Georgia, Monday, October 3 – Wednesday, October 5 and Friday, October 21 – Sunday, October 23, respectively.

In the winter, the Aggies find themselves playing at the Arizona Intercollegiate, at the Tuscan Country Club, from Monday, January 30 – Tuesday, January 31, play in the John A. Burns Intercollegiate, at The Ocean Course at Hokuala, on Thursday, February 16 – Saturday, February 18 and round out February at the Southern Highlands Collegiate, at Southern Highlands Golf Club, on Sunday, February 26 – Tuesday, February 28.

In the spring, the Aggies play in the Louisiana Classics, at Oakbourne Country Club, on Monday, March 13 – Tuesday, March 14, play at the Valspar Collegiate, at Floridian National Golf Club, on Monday, March 27 – Tuesday, March 28, and host The Aggie Invitational, at Traditions Club, on Monday, April 10 – Tuesday, April 11.

The 2023 SEC Championships are set to begin on Wednesday, April 19 at Sea Island. The championships will be played through Sunday, April 23.

NCAA Championship action begins on Monday, May 15.

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Gators News: Midweek update has men’s golf wrap up, gymnastics schedule

The men’s golf team storms back from a rough start to finish fifth at the Isleworth Collegiate.

Welcome to a humpday edition of Gators News and on today’s agenda, we have the men’s golf team who wrapped up its fall season on the links at the Isleworth Collegiate while the gymnastics team announced its schedule for 2022. It is a short update today — here is the latest news from around the Gator Nation.

Gators News: Women’s tennis wraps up ITAs, men’s golf on last round at Isleworth

Two teams to report on in today’s Gators News.

Things are slowing down a bit in the Gators sports world as we wade deeper into the week, with just two programs to report on today. The women’s tennis team wrapped up play at the ITA Regional Championships on Monday while the men’s golf team continues its competition at the Isleworth Collegiate. With a bye this weekend for the football team and a few other teams, the sports scene will be merely a trickle until it picks back up in early November. For now, here is the latest from Florida athletics.

Gators News: Football, soccer stumble and other weekend updates

Florida sports had both winners and losers this past weekend.

It was a rough weekend for the Gator Nation as the football team saw its postseason aspirations evaporate in Death Valley at the hands of the LSU Tigers and the soccer team continued to struggle as well. The good news is that some of the other sports picked up the slack, including the volleyball team. Meanwhile, the cross country team saw some action in Tallahassee, the diving team hosted the Hurricanes, and both the women’s tennis team and men’s golf team continue to compete at their respective tournaments.

Here is a look at the weekend roundup.