The SEC Championship Quarterfinals match came down to the anchor match between the Gators and Commodores.
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The Florida men’s golf team made it dramatic once again in match play, forcing two extra hole matches and flipping a match on the final hole for a point as the Gators fell 3-2 to Vanderbilt in the SEC Championship Quarterfinals on Saturday at Sea Island Golf Club.
The loss moved Florida’s record to 7-4 all-time in match play at SECs with its first-ever loss in the quarterfinals. Next up for the Gators is their NCAA Regional selection, which will be announced on Wednesday, May 1 at 2 p.m. on Golf Channel.
It was duel between the last two seasons SEC Championship Finals with a fresh Florida lineup that featured three newcomers (Parker Bell, Ian Gilligan and Jack Turner) making their first career SEC match play appearances compared to an experience Vanderbilt group that had four players that were in their lineup last year and three the season prior against the Gators with a combined 18-11-1 record in match at the conference tournament. Florida owned a 3-3 mark between Matthew Kress and Tyler Wilkes.
However, the match came all the way down to extra holes after Ian Gilligan’s win in 20 holes vs. the No. 2 ranked amateur, Gordon Sargent, tied the match 2-2.
Vandy controlled the matches early on and lead the majority of the morning and grabbed an early 1-0 lead with a 6&5 win by Matthew Riedel over Wilkes. At one-point Florida was down by two-plus holes in four of the five matches with the lone match tied midway through the match. The Commodores took a 2-0 lead with a 4&2 victory from Jackson Van Paris over Parker Bell. With the ‘Dores needing one more point to end it, the Gators began their comeback efforts, battling back and bringing two matches squared with Gilligan leading 1-up.
Finishing tied for runner-up in the stroke play, freshman Jack Turner added to his legacy building week. Down two with three holes remaining he brought the match all squared heading to the final hole of regulation and won 1-up over senior Cole Sherwood. The Orlando, Fla. native concluded his first SECs with a victory in match play and T2 finish in stroke play. His runner-up performance ties the second-best finish by a Gator true freshman at the SEC Championship with Camilo Villegas, who placed T2 in 2001.
As Gilligan and Sargents’ match went to extra holes the crowd followed the two. On the other side of the course, last year’s SEC hero for UF, Matthew Kress, found himself 1-down through 17 to William Moll. Kress stepped up once again and sank a great birdie putt down-hill to then send his match to extra holes.
Shortly after Kress’ heroics, Gilligan took his match in 20 holes vs. Sargent, turning attention to the final pairing. Moll went on to knock a great approach shot that set himself up for a 4-foot birdie putt he knocked down to clinch the match in 19 holes.
SEC Quarterfinals vs. Vanderbilt Matches:
Vanderbilt 3, Florida 2
Jack Turner 1Up over Cole Sherwood
Ian Gilligan 1Up (20 holes) over Gordon Sargent
Jackson Van Paris 4&2 over Parker Bell
Matthew Riedel 6&5 over Tyler Wilkes
William Moll 1Up (19 holes) over Matthew Kress
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