UF Golf Wins Inaugural Barbara Nicklaus Cup

The Florida men’s and women’s golf teams won the Barbara Nicklaus Cup for the first time in program history. The tournament was held October 7-8 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. 

Dubs in Dublin

Gator golf takes the﹟1 spot in the Barbara Nicklaus Cup at Muirfield Village Golf Club#GoGators pic.twitter.com/W7Tc71NL5K

— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) October 8, 2024

Uphill Battle

The path to victory wasn’t pretty at first.

The Florida men’s team started the tournament strong with a 4-2 victory over Ohio State. However, it fell to Clemson 2.5-3.5 in the second round. 

The women’s team had a rougher go, losing its first two matches of the tournament, falling 2.5-3.5 to both Ohio State and Clemson.

Ending Strong

Fortunately for the Gators, they had a phenomenal final day of play. 

The men’s team finished the tournament with a dominant 5-1 win over Charlotte. The women’s team rallied in the final round and tied Charlotte 3-3.

The combined men’s and women’s scores gave Florida a total of 19.5 points, enough to secure the tournament title. Clemson came in second with 19 points, barely losing out to UF. Charlotte placed third with 18 points and Ohio State finished last with 15.5 points.

Notable Individual Performances

Three Gators – Ian Gilligan, Sophie Stevens, and Jack Turner – won all three of their matches. 

Stevens won the final round with a score of 4 & 3, maintaining a 3-up lead for 10 holes and losing only two of the 15 holes played. 

Gilligan and Turner secured the final points for the Gators’ second victory of the tournament. Gilligan was named SEC Golfer of the Week and Siuue Wu was named SEC Freshman of the Week for her impressive play.

Up Next

The men’s team will compete in the Williams Cup (Oct. 20-22) at Eagle Point GC (Wilmington, NC). The women’s team will defend their title at The Ally (Oct. 21-23) at Old Waverly GC (West Point, MS).