UF Freshman Turning Heads Going Into NCAA Golf Championships

The Florida men’s golf team has a long tradition of excellence. Jack Turner, one of this year’s new additions, has quickly lived up to those standards. 

Turner, a freshman from Orlando, already has made a name for himself in collegiate golf. In just his first year in Gainesville, Turner has proven to be an essential asset to the Gators as they try to repeat as national champions. He earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors twice and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Last week at the NCAA Regionals in West Lafayette, Indiana, Turner played a critical role in helping UF advance to the championship round for the fourth consecutive season – and the 57th time in program history.

Turner bounced back from a slow start on the opening day to finish T18 for the tournament, shooting a 1-under 215. After shooting 2-under 70 on Day 2, Turner capped a remarkable regionals with a birdie on the final hole to finish with 3-under 69. Turner’s performance helped UF place third out of 13 teams and earn the trip to Carlsbad, California, for the NCAA Men’s Golf Championships, which begin Friday.

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“Regionals is our biggest pressure tournament of the whole year,” Turner said. “You can play great all year, but if you don’t make it through regionals, then it doesn’t really matter.”

Turner’s emergence came on the heels of a breakout performance at the SEC Tournament. Turner shot 68-65-71 at the Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga., to finish tied for second in the individual competition just six strokes behind medalist Jackson Koivun from Auburn. The second-round 65 was his best round as a Gator.

UF golf coach J.C. Deacon knew from the first time he saw Turner play as a ninth grader he wanted him to be a Florida Gator. And he’s impressed with just how quickly Turner was able to make an impact on the team.

“Jack’s been a home-run recruit, that’s for sure,” Deacon said. “He’s got one of the most beautiful golf swings you’ve ever seen. Very, very traditional. Classic, really controlled club face.

“We’re not here without Jack Turner. Not even close.”

Turner is proud of how far he’s come. 

“In the beginning of the year, I was just trying to get to know my teammates, get to know how college golf works,” Turner said. “Obviously, [college golf] is at a much higher level, so I think I was just trying to get used to all of that.” 

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Turner attributes his growth to his teammates. One of his role models on the team is junior Ian Gilligan, a transfer from Long Beach State. 

“[Gilligan] is our best player,” Turner said. “He works really, really hard. He’s playing great for us. He’s a good leader.”

Turner said he has noticed how the older guys like Gilligan have dealt with the pressure and have continued to lead the Gators. Turner is confident he can do the same. He also acknowledges that next year, he may need to step up as another leader on the team. Instead of shying away from the pressure, he embraces it.

“It’s definitely extra pressure, and looking up to our older guys now, I know that they feel it a little bit more,” Turner said. “When we go to tournaments that they’re not playing well (at), it’s going to bring down the team a little bit more. But you know, that’s what we practice for. That’s what we train for. So, I’ll be ready for it.”

Another emerging UF golfer is sophomore Parker Bell. Bell is his best friend on the team, according to Turner. Being two of the younger players in the group, Bell and Turner naturally inclined toward each other and formed a friendship. Bell qualified for the U.S. Open by advancing via the final-round qualifier in Dallas on Tuesday.

Turner says he’s excited to continue to play alongside Bell and is proud of his friend and teammate for how far he’s come this year.

“For him to finish top-10 [at Regionals], as a young guy, I mean that’s just huge for us,” Turner said. “We all really appreciated that, and hopefully he can keep that great play going into next week.” 

There will be a few new additions to the team next season, but the group will mostly stay the same. Fifth-year senior John DuBois is the only starter whose eligibility expires.

Now, Turner turns his focus to this weekend for the NCAA Championships to cap what has been a sensational freshman season in Gainesville.