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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CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — Parker Bell has come a long way in the last few months.
The rising sophomore at Florida was told he wasn’t qualifying for the Gators last event of the season. Coach J.C. Deacon wanted Parker to work on his game. He had qualified for only one event his freshman season, and the rest of it was a struggle.
“It was definitely very humbling,” Bell said. “But I kind of deserved it. Like I played bad — my spring was really, really disappointing.”
Bell went from being told he couldn’t qualify at the end of his freshman season to earning a spot in the 2023 U.S. Amateur semifinals, where he’ll face Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap at 2 p.m. ET Saturday. Plenty has changed in the past few months, but it all started with the conversation with Deacon.
“This summer I’ve played in some bigger events and put myself in positions where you’ve just got to step up there and hit it,” Bell said. “You can’t let the nerves get in the way.”
On Friday, Bell knocked off Ben James, the reigning Phil Mickelson Award winner at Virginia as the nation’s top freshman. James is ranked sixth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Dunlap is ninth.
Bell? He’s 534th.
“I knew I had the game coming into this. I always felt like I was maybe a little bit overlooked before.”@GatorsGolf’s Parker Bell is riding momentum and confidence into the semifinals. 💪 #USAmateur
He qualified for one tournament in the fall, and he thought it would be the turning point of his season. However, it was the opposite.
“I was not ready,” Bell said. “Hadn’t played in a lot of big tournaments until then, and my nerves just got the best of me, and I guess ever since then, the rest of the season, it just never really got any better.”
After being told he wasn’t qualifying for Florida’s final tournament in the spring, Bell went to see his swing coach, Jeff Smith, in Tennessee. They worked out the kinks of what was wrong. He watched as the Gators went to Grayhawk Golf Club in Arizona and won the national championship. That only added motivation.
Slowly but surely, Bell started to figure his game out. Although he hasn’t had a dominant summer, he wasn’t deterred.
Parker Bell watches his tee shot on hole three during the quarterfinals of the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills C.C. in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
“I knew I had the game coming into this,” Bell said. “I always felt like I was maybe a little bit overlooked before going into this tournament. I knew I had the game to make the match play. That was my goal going in was just get to the match play because I know that anything can happen.
“It’s always been something that’s held me back. It’s been either the putter or I make a double here or a double there. I’m glad this week it’s kind of all come together.”
Bell led 2 up with three to play Friday against James, and the latter fought back in a big way. James drained two long putts to win consecutive holes and tie the match heading to 18. Then, James had a 3-footer to win the match on 18 before it slid by.
“I really thought it was over,” Bell said. “He was steady all day putting. When he missed it, it felt like new life, and I’m sure he was pretty boggled by that.”
The duo marched to the first tee, where Bell striped a 5-wood and barely missed the green, but he got up and down for birdie, winning the hole for the second time Friday and punching his ticket to the semifinal.
He said the emotion when the birdie putt dropped was unlike anything he has ever felt.
“Just where I was 15 minutes before then, like head in my hands, thinking my tournament is over, to all of a sudden I have a chance to win tomorrow and play in the Masters,” Bell said. “Just a huge, huge emotion, and I kind of let it all out with the fist pump. But I had to.”
Regardless of Saturday’s result, it’s safe to say Bell won’t be worried about qualifiers anymore.
Here’s everything you need to know from the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur.
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — As the week has gone on at the 2023 U.S. Amateur, the course has gotten tougher, stakes have gotten higher and the players are coming closer to hoisting the Havemeyer Trophy.
The quarterfinals at the U.S. Amateur are complete, meaning we’re down to four players in the Mile High City. Tee times went off early Friday morning in anticipation of afternoon thunderstorms in the Denver area, but Cherry Hills was baked in sunshine all morning.
Among the semifinalists are one of the favorites coming in, a player who has come oh-so-close to winning this summer but hasn’t quite pulled it off and a pair looking for their signature win.
The remaining players are all American heading into the semifinals.
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — After a grueling Thursday at Cherry Hills Country Club, the 2023 U.S. Amateur is down to eight vying for the Havemeyer Trophy.
Cherry Hills started to show its teeth, especially during the Round of 16 on Thursday afternoon. The wind picked up, the greens became more firm and started browning out, and players who stayed out of trouble took advantage.
However, one semifinal match was tied heading to a 19th hole on Friday morning, and it had an incredible ending Thursday night before play was suspended due to darkness.
Eight golfers are closer to winning the biggest championship in men’s amateur golf.
Friday’s quarterfinal tee times were moved up to the morning because of possible severe weather in the afternoon. The first tee time will be at 10:30 a.m. ET.
