CARLSBAD, Calif. — The Florida men’s golf team ended its 2023-24 season in an 11th-place finish at the NCAA National Championship on Monday. Florida entered the day in the final match-play spot and battled in and out throughout the day before falling out in the final three holes.
An important 1-under 287 third round on Saturday helped advance Florida to the final round of stroke play for the third consecutive season. The Gators started the day in eighth, and in the final match-play spot with a one-shot advantage.
Teeing off the back nine, the challenging part of the Omni La Costa and playing over-par all weekend, UF was steady with a counting score of +2 approaching the final three holes, but moved out of the advancing spot with +3 mark and two double-bogeys on 18. The damage was limited however with birdies on 18 by the fifth-year senior John DuBois and freshman Jack Turner.
Florida made the turn to the front, chasing the final match-play spot by four shots. The Gators regained its position with a 5-under stretch between holes five and six with consecutive birdies from Parker Bell and DuBois.
DuBois wrapped up his collegiate season and final round with a 1-under 71 for a T23 finish, his second top-23 finish at NCAAs; T18 in 2023. He played in 41 tournaments and 124 rounds for the Gators. The Orlando, Fla., native went 3-0 in match play last season at the National Championship, won the 2022 SEC Individual Title and clinched the 2023 SEC Championship team title with the winning putt.
After rallying back into match play contention and a two-shot lead, the Gators dropped down to 11th from +6 final three holes (7-9) with seven counting bogeys for a final round of 9-over 297 to miss by four shots and final tournament score of 1181 (+29).
Turner carded a final round of 1-over 73 to produce a 72-hole score of 3-over 291 and T23 performance. In his first collegiate season, he concluded with his third top-23 of the postseason; T2 at SEC Championship and T18 at NCAA Regionals. He becomes the sixth Florida freshman to finish top-23 at the NCAAs since 2001, joining ranks of Billy Horschel, Sam Horsfield, Matt Every and Camilo Villegas.
The final two counting scores were a 76 (+4) from Ian Gilligan and 77 (+5) in Parker Bell as Matthew Kress shot a non-counting score of 79 (+7).
The Orange and Blue continued its streak of five straight top-11 finishes after winning the national title – 1974: 2nd, 1994: 3rd, 1969: T5 and 2002:…
An important 1-under 287 third round on Saturday helped advance Florida to the final round of stroke play for the third consecutive season. The Gators started the day in eighth, and in the final match-play spot with a one-shot advantage.
Teeing off the back nine, the challenging part of the Omni La Costa and playing over-par all weekend, UF was steady with a counting score of +2 approaching the final three holes, but moved out of the advancing spot with +3 mark and two double-bogeys on 18. The damage was limited however with birdies on 18 by the fifth-year senior John DuBois and freshman Jack Turner.
Florida made the turn to the front, chasing the final match-play spot by four shots. The Gators regained its position with a 5-under stretch between holes five and six with consecutive birdies from Parker Bell and DuBois.
DuBois wrapped up his collegiate season and final round with a 1-under 71 for a T23 finish, his second top-23 finish at NCAAs; T18 in 2023. He played in 41 tournaments and 124 rounds for the Gators. The Orlando, Fla., native went 3-0 in match play last season at the National Championship, won the 2022 SEC Individual Title and clinched the 2023 SEC Championship team title with the winning putt.
After rallying back into match play contention and a two-shot lead, the Gators dropped down to 11th from +6 final three holes (7-9) with seven counting bogeys for a final round of 9-over 297 to miss by four shots and final tournament score of 1181 (+29).
Turner carded a final round of 1-over 73 to produce a 72-hole score of 3-over 291 and T23 performance. In his first collegiate season, he concluded with his third top-23 of the postseason; T2 at SEC Championship and T18 at NCAA Regionals. He becomes the sixth Florida freshman to finish top-23 at the NCAAs since 2001, joining ranks of Billy Horschel, Sam Horsfield, Matt Every and Camilo Villegas.
The final two counting scores were a 76 (+4) from Ian Gilligan and 77 (+5) in Parker Bell as Matthew Kress shot a non-counting score of 79 (+7).
The Orange and Blue continued its streak of five straight top-11 finishes after winning the national title – 1974: 2nd, 1994: 3rd, 1969: T5 and 2002:…
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