The No. 14 Florida men’s golf team earned its first win of the season at the Williams Cup in Wilmington, North Carolina. In their past two appearances, Florida finished twice, but all four golfers finishing in the top 17 helped lift the Gators to their first Williams Cup victory.
Making its third appearance at the tournament, Florida faced a field of competitors, including No. 1 Auburn, Arizona, Augusta State, Kentucky, Louisville, N.C. State, No. 9 North Carolina, Notre Dame, No. 11 Oklahoma, Oregon State, No. 5 Texas, UNC-Wilmington and No. 15 Utah.
Sophomore Zack Swanwick led the Gators over the three-day tournament, recording two rounds under par and tying for the lead entering the final round. He shared the top spot with Notre Dame senior Nate Stevens on Tuesday, and the pair battled for the win until the final hole.
A double bogey on hole 17 pushed Swanwick into a tie for third place with junior Luke Poulter. Both Swanwick and Poulter finished the tournament at 5-under.
After the first round, Florida held a seven-stroke lead, which it extended on day two. Poulter led the team with a 4-under, putting him one stroke behind the individual leader. Fellow junior Jack Turner joined him in the top five with a 3-under round.
Senior Parker Bell rounded out the top 10 on day one with a score of 2-under. After four birdies and one bogey in round two, Bell surged to third place.
On day two, the Gators had four players in the top 10 again, contributing to a 19-stroke lead over Notre Dame and Texas. However, senior Matthew Kress replaced Turner, who fell to 23rd after a triple bogey on hole 12.
Kress, who faced a series of offsetting birdies and bogeys Monday, cleaned up his game. In the second round, he recorded five birdies with only one bogey, moving up 29 places to tie for 10th.
Florida’s individual competitors, freshmen Trevor Gutschewski and Parker Severs, fell behind early. Severs shot an even opening round but couldn’t keep up with the experienced field, whileGutschewski ended the tournament tied for 17th, gaining six places in the final round.
For the final test of the fall schedule, Florida will compete in the East Lake Cup in Atlanta. As a 2025 NCAA semifinalist team, the Gators received an invitation to join the nation’s top-performing teams. The three-day tournament begins Monday and will air live on Golf Channel.
Contact Brooke Bastedo at bbastedo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @BrookeBastedo.
Brooke is entering her third semester as The Alligator's golf reporter. She is a sophomore sports journalism student with a passion for international sports. She enjoys trying as many new hobbies as possible, spending time with friends and watching Detroit sports (Go Lions!).
