Florida men’s golf started national championship stroke play on a questionable foot.
After going a combined 5-over-par in the first two rounds, the Gators were out of the top 15. It looked as if they wouldn’t even make it past the top-15 cut.
However, No. 2 UF prevailed as it has all season, posting a 284 (-4) in Round 3. Then, the Gators scored a tournament-best 276 (-12) in Round 4, advancing to match play.
Florida finished stroke play in third place, accumulating a score of 1141 (-11).
UF’s lineup consisted of Luke Poulter, Jack Turner, Matthew Kress, Zack Swanwick and Parker Sands, with Parker Bell as the substitute.
Turner stood out as the top performer for the Gators, going 282 (-6). In rounds 2 and 4, he had a combined 13 birdies. The junior was instrumental in steering Florida ahead in the final frame, thanks to six birdies on the front nine.
Swanwick finished four strokes behind. He was the top golfer for the Gators in the opening frame, accumulating five birdies for a 3-under-par. The waters looked way rougher for the sophomore in the next round as he hit four single bogeys on the back nine, which amounted to a 77 (+5) for the day. He emerged like a bat out of hell in the final frame to propel UF to match play. There, the New Zealand native cruised to five birdies in the front nine and ended the round with a tournament-best 6-under-par.
Poulter started the tournament on a rough foot, combining for 6-over-par in the first two rounds, which included two double bogeys. However, his play was crucial to the Gators making the top-15 cut. Poulter’s six birdies in Round 3 set the tone, and the junior ended stroke play with a 289 (+1).
Kress didn’t look as sharp as usual, having his worst tournament since the Marquette Intercollegiate in October, accumulating a 292 (+4). He only went under par in Round 3 and scored four birdies. However, the senior was just one stroke below even par because of a triple bogey in hole 6.
Sands ended one stroke behind Kress, going 1-under-par in rounds 2 and 4.
Florida awaits its opponent for the match play quarterfinals. Tee time will be 9:50 a.m. or 10:40 a.m. Tuesday.
Contact Colby Kistner at ckistner@alligator.org. Follow him on X @colbykistner22.
Colby is a sports journalism senior in his second semester with the Alligator covering golf. He has experience covering Buchholz and Santa Fe High School sports and also worked in UF's innovation center where he wrote and created radio content for WRUF. Furthermore, he is interning at Idaho Education News Center in Boise and is looking to minor in business. In his free time, he watches the Seattle Kraken and the NHL as a whole.
