For much of the Calusa Cup, the No. 3 Gators were in control. They were miles ahead of their competitors at many points, looking to win their third-straight Calusa Cup.
However, there were a few scares in Round 1 and toward the end of the tournament.
After the opening round, UF was in a three-way tie for first with Louisville and Eastern Michigan, with each squad shooting 5-under-par.
Then, the Gators emerged in Round 2, accumulating a 274 (-14), which tied for their lowest round of the season.
They maintained their 10-stroke lead over USF heading into the final frame and continued to dominate the scoresheet for some time.
But No. 2 Virginia went haywire, with Michael Lee and Paul Chang combining for -11. Overall, the Cavaliers went a combined -24 throughout the final two rounds.
Ultimately, Florida held steadfast and won the Calusa Cup with an 842 (-22), finishing four strokes ahead of Virginia. For the first time in Gators men’s golf history, they won five tournaments in a season for four consecutive years.
The Florida lineup consisted of Parker Sands, Jack Turner, Zack Swanwick, Luke Poulter and Matthew Kress.
Turner was the best performer for the Gators and tied for fourth overall, going 209 (-7). He posted a 68 (-4) in Round 1, thanks to an eagle. It looked like the junior was going to capture his first-career win after going 6-under-par in Round 2, accumulating six birdies and another eagle.
However, he couldn’t follow his performance up, going +3 in the final round and scoring just one birdie.
Sands finished close behind, posting a 210 (-6). He also went 68 (-4) in Round 1, thanks to six birdies. Even with five in Round 2, the sophomore hit a double bogey, bringing his score down to just 1-under-par. He had the same score in the final frame, ending up as the only Gator to finish under par all three rounds.
Poulter and Kress both finished with a 213 (-3).
Poulter had a rough start in Round 1, going 3-over-par and having six single bogeys. He was also the only Gator to not finish under par in Round 2, going dead even due to a double bogey in Hole 16. The junior made sure not to let that slow him down as he was tied with Lee for a tournament-best Round 3, accumulating a 66 (-6). His five birdies and an eagle in the final hole sealed the deal.
Kress had a combined 3-over-par in Rounds 1 and 3. But the senior’s seven birdies and one single bogey in Round 2 were good enough for a 66 (-6).
Swanwick finished 219 (+3) due to two double bogeys in the opening frame. The sophomore had eight birdies overall.
Florida will travel a few hours north to St. Simons Island, Georgia, for the five-day SEC Championship from April 22 to 26. It will be held at Seaside Golf Course, with a start time still to be determined.
Contact Colby Kistner at ckistner@alligator.org. Follow him on X @colbykistner22.
Colby is a junior sports journalism student in his first semester with the Alligator covering golf. He has experience covering Buchholz and Santa Fe High School sports. He also worked in UF's innovation center where he wrote and created radio content for WRUF. He is an avid hockey fan with his teams being the Seattle Kraken and Florida Panthers. He is looking to minor in business administration.
