The Gators had their work cut out for them at the Pauma Valley Invitational. Facing eight teams ranked in the Top 25, they had to bring their A-game from the start.
Out of the gate, the first round proved to be an obstacle for No. 3 Florida. It scored 1-over-par, while the top two teams that round, No. 15 Tennessee and No. 13 Ole Miss, combined for 23 strokes.
However, the Gators found their footing in Round 2 with a -10, the best score that round.
But the Gators slowed down in Round 3 and ended the invitational with an 839 (-13). Despite that score being their third-best of the season, they finished tied for third place, which was three strokes behind Tennessee and No. 20 Georgia Tech.
The Florida lineup consisted of Matthew Kress, Zack Swanwick, Jack Turner, Luke Poulter and Josh Bai. Meanwhile, Parker Sands participated in individual play.
Poulter was the top performer for the Gators with a 209 (-4). In Round 2, the junior went bogey free and scored four birdies. The final round proved to have a mix of highs and lows as he had an eagle in Hole 2. Four holes later, he caught a double bogey and ended the day 1-over-par.
Turner finished in second for the Gators with a 211 (-2). The junior went a combined 3-over-par in Rounds 1 and 3. However, he was the second-best tournament performer in Round 2 with a -5. There, he accumulated five birdies in the final nine holes.
Swanwick placed close behind with a 212 (-1). The junior made a late push in Round 3 just like in the Southern Highlands Collegiate. He was the team’s best performer in the final round once again. This time, he was one stroke better with a -3 and had three birdies with no bogeys.
Kress ended with a 214 (+1), which marked his second straight tournament above par. The senior went 3-over-par in Round 2, thanks to four single bogeys in the final nine holes.
Bai, in his first appearance in Florida’s starting five, got off to a rough start. Despite hitting two birdies in the first four holes, the sophomore hit a quadruple bogey in Hole 9. He recovered in the final two rounds, going under par both times. Ultimately, he ended with a 216 (+3).
Sands had a 212 (-1) in individual play. The sophomore had a great opening and concluding round, combining for 4-under-par. That was offset by his four single bogeys and one birdie in Round 2. He finished five strokes behind the best individual performer from Illinois, Ethan Wilson.
The Gators travel a few hours south to Naples for the Calusa Cup on April 5, with a start time still to be determined. The tournament will be held at Calusa Pines Golf Club and hosted by Iowa.
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.
