Florida Men’s Golf Finishes Fifth in Spring Opener

The Florida Gators men’s golf team made it’s third and final appearance at the Southwestern Invitational. Shooting a round of 283 (-1) and a final team score of 857 (+5), the Gators placed fifth in the overall competition. This is the Gators third top-5 finish of the season, with an impressive rise from 8th place after shooting under par in the last two rounds (-3, -1) to recover from their initial +9 round.

Individual Performances

Ian Gilligan shot a total score of 209 (-4), placing himself one shot behind medalist honors and tying for runner-up. He had a final round of 70 (-1), accumulating 12 top-5, 20 top-20 and 27 top-25 career finishes. Gilligan led the competition in par 4 scoring at 3.78 (-6).

Jack Turner followed behind, placing T10 after scoring 212 (-1), scoring a second round of 69 (-2) with four birdies in holes 7-10, and a second eagle this season on the 14th hole (par 5, 538 yards). Turner has seven top-10 career finishes.

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Luke Poulter, Zack Swanwick and Matthew Kress (who played as an individual) tied for 31st with a overall score of +5.

Last in the line up was Parker Bell who shot an overall score of +21, ending in 72nd place.

Ben Hogan Award Watch List

Earlier in the day, Ian Gilligan and Jack Turner were named to the Ben Hogan Award Watch List, as announced by the Hogan Trophy Award Foundation, the Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). The last time a Gator won the award was in 2006 by Matt Every.

The final top 5 scoreboard consisted of Texas (-8), San Diego State (-7), Vanderbilt (-4), Pepperdine (E) and Florida (+5).

Up Next

Next on the schedule, the Gators will be hosting the 48th Gators Invitational at Mark Bostick golf course. The invitational will take place from February 15th-16th.