The SEC Championship Quarterfinals match came down to the anchor match between the Gators and Commodores.
The loss moved Florida’s record to 7-4 all-time in match play at SECs with its first loss in the quarterfinals. Next up for the Gators is their NCAA Regional selection, which will be announced on Wednesday, May 1 at 2 p.m. on Golf Channel.
It was duel between a fresh Florida lineup that featured three newcomers (Parker Bell, Ian Gilligan and Jack Turner) making their first career SEC match play appearances compared to an experience Vanderbilt lineup that had four players that were in the lineup last year and three the season prior against the Gators in the SEC Championship Finals.
The match came all the way down to extra holes after Ian Gilligan’s win in 20 holes vs. the No. 2 ranked amateur, Gordon Sargent, tied the match 2-2. Vanderbilt led the majority of the day and grabbed an early lead with a 6&5 win by Matthew Riedel over Tyler Wilkes.
Vandy controlled the matches early on and at one point were leading by two-plus holes in four of the five matches with the lone match tied. The Commodores then took a 2-0 lead with a 4&2 victory from Jackson Van Paris over Parker Bell.
With the ‘Dores needing one more point, the Gators began their comeback efforts, battling back and bringing two matches squared with Gilligan leading 1-up.
Finishing tied for runner-up in the stroke play, freshman Jack Turner added to his legacy building week. Down two with three holes remaning he brought the match all squared heading to the final hole and won 1-up over senior Cole Sherwood. The Orlando, Fla. native concluded his first SECs with a victory in match play and T2 finish in stroke play. His runner-up performance ties the second-best finish by a Gator true freshman at the SEC Championship with Camilo Villegas, who placed T2 in 2001. That year the Gators won the SEC and National Team and Individual Championships just like last year.
As Gilligan and Sargents’ match went to extra holes and the crowd followed the two, last year’s SEC hero for UF, Matthew Kress, found himself 1-down through 17 to William Moll. Kress stepped up once again and sank a great birdie putt down hill to then send his…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Florida Gators…