SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – In his final stroke play tournament, Fred Biondi rallied from five shots down to be crowned the 2023 Individual National Champion as the Florida men’s golf team advanced to the match play for the first time in program history.
Biondi is the third Gator to win medalist honors joining Nick Gilliam (2001) and Bobby Murphy (1966). The last time a UF golfer won the individual title, Florida also won the team championships in 2001. He is the first player to shoot under par in all four rounds at the last three National Championships at Grayhawk GC. He tied his career-low at Grayhawk with a final round of 67 (-3) to finish 7-under 273.
The Brazilian is the first Latin American Champion and first international player since Thomas Pieters (Illinois) to win the Individual National Championship.
Entering the day five back from leader Ross Steelman (Georgia Tech), Biondi started off strong with a birdie on two and then knocked down two more in his next four holes and brought the deficit to one shot with a birdie on six. He went on to double bogey seven, sending him back down the leaderboard, but Biondi erased the mistake with back-to-back birdies on 9 & 10.
Winning his fourth collegiate title and third event of the season, Biondi also was named the 2023 Division I Arnold Palmer Champion Award. He finished ranked No. 2 in the final PGA Tour U Rankings joining teammates Ricky Castillo, who placed No. 9 and Yuxin Lin a spot behind at No. 10.
The finish inside the top-5 earns him fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2023, as well as an exemption to Final Stage of 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry – where the top five finishers and ties earn PGA TOUR cards – and the ability to accept unlimited PGA TOUR sponsor exemptions for the remainder of 2023 and 2024.
Players who finished Nos. 11-20 in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking earned fully exempt membership on PGA TOUR Canada for 2023, as well as an exemption to Second Stage of 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, and conditional status through the Latin America Swing of the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas season.
Biondi again bounced back from another mistake, a bogey on 12, with his 15th birdie of the weekend on 14 behind a dart approach that landed inside 10 feet. Bringing it back to one shot of Steelman. Biondi then jumped in control of the lead after Steelman made bogey on 17.
Play was slowed down and backed up on the 17th hole as…
Biondi is the third Gator to win medalist honors joining Nick Gilliam (2001) and Bobby Murphy (1966). The last time a UF golfer won the individual title, Florida also won the team championships in 2001. He is the first player to shoot under par in all four rounds at the last three National Championships at Grayhawk GC. He tied his career-low at Grayhawk with a final round of 67 (-3) to finish 7-under 273.
The Brazilian is the first Latin American Champion and first international player since Thomas Pieters (Illinois) to win the Individual National Championship.
Entering the day five back from leader Ross Steelman (Georgia Tech), Biondi started off strong with a birdie on two and then knocked down two more in his next four holes and brought the deficit to one shot with a birdie on six. He went on to double bogey seven, sending him back down the leaderboard, but Biondi erased the mistake with back-to-back birdies on 9 & 10.
Winning his fourth collegiate title and third event of the season, Biondi also was named the 2023 Division I Arnold Palmer Champion Award. He finished ranked No. 2 in the final PGA Tour U Rankings joining teammates Ricky Castillo, who placed No. 9 and Yuxin Lin a spot behind at No. 10.
The finish inside the top-5 earns him fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2023, as well as an exemption to Final Stage of 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry – where the top five finishers and ties earn PGA TOUR cards – and the ability to accept unlimited PGA TOUR sponsor exemptions for the remainder of 2023 and 2024.
Players who finished Nos. 11-20 in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking earned fully exempt membership on PGA TOUR Canada for 2023, as well as an exemption to Second Stage of 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, and conditional status through the Latin America Swing of the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas season.
Biondi again bounced back from another mistake, a bogey on 12, with his 15th birdie of the weekend on 14 behind a dart approach that landed inside 10 feet. Bringing it back to one shot of Steelman. Biondi then jumped in control of the lead after Steelman made bogey on 17.
Play was slowed down and backed up on the 17th hole as…
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