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Florida men’s golf is in third place at the SEC Championship entering Friday’s final stroke-play round at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Georgia.
The Gators shot a 3-under-par opening round Wednesday followed by a 7-under-par second round Thursday. With 18 holes to play ahead of Saturday’s match-play quarterfinals, Florida trails co-leaders Texas A&M and Alabama (-12) by only two strokes.
Advancing to the Weekend
The top-eight teams on the leaderboard at the completion of Friday’s round will advance to Saturday’s match-play quarterfinals. Arkansas (E) is currently in eighth place as the top-seven teams are under par.
The winners of the quarterfinal matches will advance to the semifinals — also held on Saturday — before the final takes place Sunday at 8 a.m. on the SEC Network.
Three Gators in Red Figures
Florida seniors Fred Biondi, Ricky Castillo and John DuBois are all in red figures after the first 36 holes.
Biondi shot par in his opening round Wednesday before the São Paulo, Brazil, native carded a 3-under-par 67 Thursday. Biondi is tied for seventh place on the individual leaderboard and is two strokes clear of Castillo and DuBois (T-22).
That a boy Fred 👏👏
Back ✌️ back birdies on five and six #GoGators 🐊 | @FredBiondi pic.twitter.com/9DOGKthNRp
— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) April 20, 2023
After shooting a 3-over-par 73 Wednesday, Castillo bounced back with a 4-under-par 66 Thursday.
Starting to move 👀
Birdie-birdie from Ricky on five and six 🔥#GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/VZNpNCu744
— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) April 20, 2023
Another pair of birdies from Ricky 🔥
He is -4 with three holes left and the Gators are two shots out of the lead #GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/uJOoKfDSiL
— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) April 20, 2023
DuBois made seven birdes and six bogeys en route to rounds of 69 (-1) and 70 (E).
Birdie ➡️ @_johndubois_ on hole five
He moves up to T21 📈#GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/BaEPkCYWJQ
— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) April 20, 2023
Following a 2-under-par opening round, Gator senior Yuxin Lin bogeyed two of his last three holes Thursday to bounce back to even-par overall (T-27).
After playing the first 22 holes of the tournament 6 over par, Florida redshirt freshman Matthew Kress birdied five of his final 12 holes Thursday to return to finish 1 over par overall (T-35).
A bogey-free 4-under on the back from Kress 🔥
He shoots a 67 (-3) and Florida is now tied for lead at 11-under 😎#GoGators 🐊 | @kress_matthew pic.twitter.com/jQeizzqOgU
— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) April 20, 2023
Tennessee freshman Caleb Surratt leads the field of 69 golfers at 8 under par. Alabama seniors Canon Claycomb (-7) and Thomas Ponder (-6) are in solo second and third place.
Despite Texas A&M’s share of the lead, Sam Bennett — who won low amateur at The Masters a few weeks ago — is only 1 under par after he carded a 4-over-par 74 Thursday.
The Gators are scheduled to tee off at 9:40 a.m. Friday.
