Florida falls seven strokes from making the match play cut.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The Florida men’s golf team battled all season long and throughout the final round of stroke play at the 2022 NCAA National Championships, but came up just short of making the match play cut on Monday.
The Gators started the day in 11th place and five strokes back from eighth place as the top-8 teams advanced to match play tomorrow. Florida (+40) finished seven strokes from making the cut and finished T10.
“Proud of how our guys fought all season,” head coach J.C. Deacon said. “A lot of hard work went into this season and I am incredibly proud of them.”
You couldn’t ask for a better start as the lineup sank four birdies through the first eight holes. The quick start was led by Ricky Castillo recording back-to-back birdies to put the Gators 2-under and three strokes from the cut. John DuBois (T43) and Yuxin Lin (T32) each added one on 11 (par 5, 660 yards).
Castillo (-2) and Tyler Wilkes (-1) gave the lineup a boost as they made the turn shooting under on the back that brought the deficit to two strokes.
It was a four-way battle with Arkansas, Auburn and Texas Tech for that eighth and final qualifying spot. The Red Raiders secured the last spot as teams ranked 1-8 by Golfstat all made the top-8 cut for match play.
Lin caught fire and rattled off three consecutive birdies on 15-17. He placed a great approach shot on 15 that led to a short birdie part for his 100th of the season. The Junior finished as the third Gator – Castillo and Biondi – to reach triple digits this year. His fourth and final birdie pushed Florida to 4-under and into solo 8th.
However, a double bogey on 18 and a rough start to the front nine caused UF to slip back under the cut.
A birdie from Biondi brought it to six strokes, but that was the closest the Gators got. He went -2 on the front to end in T20.
DuBois was the top performer in the lineup today with a 69 (-1) as he went bogey-free on the front.
Scores
Florida Individual
Place
Player
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Score
T20
75
73
67
72
287 (+7)
T32
74
71
69
75
289 (+9)
T43
75
72
76
69
292 (+12)
T61
81
69
74
73
297 (+17)
—
—
—
77
76
153 (+13)
—
76
82
—
158 (+18)
*Subbed in for round three and four.
Team Leaderboard
Place
School
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Score
T1
Vanderbilt
282
282
281
289
1134 (+14)
T1
Oklahoma
287
275
277
295
1134 (+14)
T1
North Carolina
288
281
280
285
1134 (+14)
4
Texas
291
291
278
277
1137 (+17)
5
Oklahoma State
289
277
277
298
1141 (+21)
6
Pepperdine
294
282
277
293
1146 (+26)
7
Arizona State
290
292
277
289
1148 (+28)
8
Texas Tech
297
287
285
284
1153 (+33)
—
Top-8 Cut
—
—
—
—
—
9
Arkansas
294
286
286
293
1159 (+39)
T10
Auburn
285
296
288
291
1160 (+40)
T10
Florida
300
285
286
289
1160 (+40)
T12
Georgia
291
292
289
299
1171 (+51)
T12
Georgia Tech
298
289
290
294
1171 (+51)
14
Ole Miss
297
287
293
300
1177 (+57)
15
Oregon
285
300
291
306
1182 (+62)
###
