Biondi Ranked No. 1 in Preseason PGA TOUR University Rankings; Four Gators in Top-25
Florida had four total players ranked with Fred Biondi (No. 1), Ricky Castillo (No. 19), John DuBois (No. 20) and Yuxin Lin (No. 21).
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Following a breakout season, Fred Biondi earned the No. 1 ranking in the preseason PGA TOUR University Velocity Global Class of 2023 Rankings as a total of four Gators placed in the top-25, the TOUR announced Wednesday.
The next three Florida golfers were ranked in consecutive order with Ricky Castillo (No. 19), John DuBois (No. 20) and Yuxin Lin (No. 21). The four selections were the most of any school as both North Carolina and Pepperdine had three.
In partnership with the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), PGA TOUR University ranks collegiate players based on their average performance in NCAA Division-I men’s team competitions, official PGA TOUR tournaments and select DP World Tour events. At the end of the college golf season, the top five finishers will earn membership on Korn Ferry Tour and players finishing 6th through 15th will earn membership on PGA TOUR Canada or PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.
Since the first PGA TOUR University class graduated in June 2021, alumni have combined for five professional victories. Less than a month after finishing No. 1 in the 2022 Velocity Global Ranking, Pierceson Coody won in just his third start on Korn Ferry Tour in June and is currently 32nd on the points list. Trevor Werbylo (9th, Class of 2021) and Davis Thompson (2nd, Class of 2021) also have Korn Ferry Tour victories this season, and both players have secured their PGA TOUR cards for the 2022-23 season through their play on Korn Ferry Tour.
All four seniors return after leading the Gators to a 10th place finish at the NCAA Championships – the highest under head coach J.C. Deacon and best since a 9th place performance in 2007 – along with a runner-up finish at the SEC Championships.
2021-22 Season Recaps:
No. 1 | Fred Biondi<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15418&d=DwIFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=gLJCEAEYU9JCioxiAtUrUpSd4bXPOiCWEMDxyjrmCraEgxrZkO7opY-qBQIyQS3g&s=63MjUCqlktDSs8KjNBbQuAATRKPc8yHVoR9-9_HaDdM&e= > | São Paulo, Brazil
* Collected season awards:
* PING First-Team All-American, Golf Week First-Team All-American, GCAA All-America Scholar, PING All-Region Team, Haskins Award Finalist, All-SEC First Team, Spring Haskins Award Watch List, SEC Co-Golfer and SEC Golfer of the Week and Golfweek Player of the Week, SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll
* Selected to the Arnold Palmer Cup International Team, becoming first Brazilian player in history
* Appeared in the Florida lineup a career-high 10 times
* Was top performer in the lineup six times and every spring tournament but two
* Won two victories in the spring with his career first at the VyStar Gators Invitational tying the tournament record at 196 (-14)
* Finished ranked No. 1 player in Golfstat Cup Standings
* Final rankings of No. 5 by Golfweek and No. 10 in Golfstat overall
* Team-leader Stroke average (70.1), under-par 54-hole scores (5), average relation to par for 18-holes (-1.0) and 54-holes (-3.1), top-5 (4), top-10 (5), top-25 (8) finishes and birdies per round (3.6)
* Second on the team in birdies (103) and eagles (4)
* Shot lowest round (63, -7) and 54-hole score (196, -14) on the team
* Placed T20 at the National Championships with a 67 (-3) in round three
* Went undefeated (2-0-1) in match play at the SEC Championship
* Had a runner-up outing at the Palm Beach Regional
* Posted 15 out of 28 rounds under-par
* Recorded 12 total rounds in the 60s and 11 in the spring
* Ony had six rounds over par in the spring and eight overall
No. 19 | Ricky Castillo<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15419&d=DwIFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=gLJCEAEYU9JCioxiAtUrUpSd4bXPOiCWEMDxyjrmCraEgxrZkO7opY-qBQIyQS3g&s=ncseIfPkF50LoOxuQ9bfOtWR1x-y1BNfBJpu0UJD2xA&e= > | Yorba Linda, Calif.
* Collected season awards:
* PING All-Region Team and All-SEC Second Team
* Appeared in the Gators’ lineup in all 12 tournaments for the third straight season
* In the No. 1 spot in the lineup eight times
* Team leader in under-par rounds (16), birdies (114), eagles (5) top-5 (4) and top-10 (5) finishes
* Second on the team in stroke average (71.4), under-par tournaments (4), rounds in the 60s (10), birdies per round (3.5), average relation to par for 18-holes (+0.4) and 54-holes (+1.3)
* Tied for lowest round under-par of the season; 63 (-7) at the Calusa Cup
* Had a stretch of five straight rounds in the 60s
* Finished Top-25 or better in each spring tournament and started spring T4-2-T7
* Was runner-up at the VyStar Gators Invitational
* Posted a record of 2-0-1 in match play at the SEC Championships with 3&2 in the quarterfinals and 2&1 victories in the finals
No. 20 | John DuBois<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15421&d=DwIFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=gLJCEAEYU9JCioxiAtUrUpSd4bXPOiCWEMDxyjrmCraEgxrZkO7opY-qBQIyQS3g&s=k-qMO7nsKI-ybsfE7zV39B1tHD0SoQ0h-bFvC37xTns&e= > | Windermere, Fla.
* Collected season awards:
* All-SEC First Team, GCAA All-America Scholar, SEC Golfer of the Week and SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll
* Recorded his first collegiate win at the SEC Championships
* Became 25th Gator to win conference individual title, the most of any school
* Appeared in the Gators’ lineup in all 12 tournaments
* Had a stroke average of 72.1 and 93 birdies for fourth-best on the team
* Posted five top-25 and two top-5 and top-10 finishes
* Went 2-1 in match play at the SEC Championship
* Sank match-clinching putt in the SEC Championship semifinals to send the Gators to the finals for the first time in program history
* In the spring opener finished runner-up with his one of three tournaments under-par
No. 21 | Yuxin Lin<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D15425&d=DwIFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=gLJCEAEYU9JCioxiAtUrUpSd4bXPOiCWEMDxyjrmCraEgxrZkO7opY-qBQIyQS3g&s=uc-MqtYMQN53ODCMDVciyqJjAgs2ohbEb6VlMobHwwg&e= > | Beijing, China
* Earned second PING All-Region Team selection
* Appeared in the Gators’ lineup in all 12 tournaments
* Tied for team-lead in top-25 finishes (7) and under-par tournaments (5)
* Second on the team in top-10 finishes with four and lowest under-par round at -6
* Shot two hole-in-ones; in the season opener and spring opener
* Third on the team in stroke average (71.5), average relation to par for 18-holes (+0.5) and 54-holes (+1.5)
* Went 2-1 in match play at SEC Championships, won 5&3 in the quarterfinals and 2&1 in the semifinals
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