On the golf course, perfection is nearly impossible; consistent excellence is the goal. Year in and year out, the Florida men’s and women’s golf teams look to live up to that expectation.
The Florida men’s golf team has earned five national titles in its 90-year history. Over the past 45 years, the women’s golf team has added two of its own national titles to its collection.
Florida has established itself as a consistent presence among the best teams in college golf. While the golf teams may not dominate every tournament, they aim to compete and win every time they tee up.
Two everpresent people on the course are the teams’ coaches. Women’s coach Emily Glaser and men’s coach J.C. Deacon have been with their teams for 13 and 11 years, respectively.
Glaser was hired in 2012 after serving under former Gators coach Jan Dowling. As a former All-American and LPGA player, she brought a wealth of experience to the Gators.
Her passion for the game grew in the shadow of her father, the head pro at Lincoln Hills Golf Club in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Her family has run the golf course for nearly 100 years.
Deacon joined Florida two years later. He replaced legendary UF coach Buddy Alexander, who won 10 SEC titles and two national championships but hadn’t secured a national title in 13 years.
In 2023, Deacon coached the Gators to the pinnacle of collegiate golf. The team won its fifth national title, tying with Louisiana State University for the fourth most in the country.
This season, both the men’s and women’s golf teams are on the hunt for their next title. The men’s team won its 17th SEC Championship on April 27 when it entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed.
The phrase “in order to be the champions, you must beat the champions” came to fruition during the tournament. After breezing through stroke play and the quarterfinals against Oklahoma, Florida faced the reigning SEC and National champions: the Auburn Tigers.
The Gators sent Auburn home when sophomore Jack Turner clinched the final point of the match with a par on the 17th hole. Turner was competing against Auburn sophomore Jackson Koivun, who was ranked the No. 1 player in the country.
“We've just been getting better all year, and today was probably the best day we've had,” Deacon said after the team’s semifinal performance. “I'm just so happy for them that they get the opportunity tomorrow and just really proud of them.”
Florida moved on to compete against the Texas A&M Aggies in the final. Freshman Zack Swanwick closed out the Aggies, making Florida SEC Champions once again.
Shortly after the tournament Turner, Swanwick and Ian Gilligan were named to All-SEC Honors. Turner also received an invitation to compete for Team USA at the Arnold Palmer Cup, which takes place after the National Championship.
The team’s next round of competition begins on May 12, when No. 7 Florida travels to Bremerton, Washington, for the NCAA Regional tournament hosted by the University of Washington.
The Gators will face 13 teams to compete for one of the five regional spots in the NCAA Championship.
Although the women’s team failed to secure an SEC title, it accomplished another feat this season. For the first time since 2019, the team will compete in the NCAA National Championships.
The women’s season was highlighted by their five tournament wins and freshman Jessica Guiser’s individual win at the Gators Invitational.
From their first win in October to their last win in March the Gators demonstrated an ability to win. Florida’s sweep at the Gators Invitational in March was the peak of its season.
Despite the rainy conditions affecting play, redshirt freshman Addison Klonowski and redshirt sophomore Karoline Tuttle led the way for Florida and managed to capture a two-stroke victory over second-place Virginia.
Guiser also earned her first collegiate win. The team rallied around her even though she wasn’t competing for the Orange and Blue in the tournament.
“It's an individual win, but I think it's part of a group project because they're all pushing each other to make each other better,” Glaser said after Guiser’s victory.
The team finished in third place at the NCAA Regional tournament, advancing to the NCAA Championship in Carlsbad, California. On May 16, the Gators will make the final push toward a third national title.
The consistent thread between the Gators is their ability to work as a team, even in an individual sport. They have grown together to reach the highest level of collegiate golf throughout the entire season.
In the coming weeks, both the men’s and women’s teams will have the chance to prove that their dedication to the sport and each other can propel them to the title of National Champions.
Contact Brooke Bastedo at bbastedo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @BrookeBastedo.
