Gators Hold on in Final Round, Win Third Consecutive Sea Best Invitational
Ian Gilligan finished runner-up with seven Gators placing in the top-15.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.- The Florida men’s golf team held off North Florida’s comeback efforts in the final round, for its third consecutive victory at the Sea Best Invitational on Tuesday at TPC Sawgrass.
The Gators shot a team score of 842 (+2) for a three-shot win and back-to-back to start the spring. It was the seventh overall victory at the event and fifth under head coach J.C. Deacon. Deacon has now guided the Gators to 24 team victories in his tenth season.
A total of ten UF golfers competed on the week with seven finishing in the top-15; Ian Gilligan (2), Tyler Wilkes (T4), Luke Poulter (6), Jack Turner (T7), Parker Bell (T7), Miguel Leal (12) and Quentin Debove (T15). The finishes of Bell and Poulter marked career-best for the second-year players. Poulter had the second lowest round of the day with a 3-under 67 going bogey-free on the back nine and three consecutive birdies to start.
Florida entered the final round with a seven shot lead that was erased by UNF midway through the final set of 18-holes. The Ospreys took a one-shot advantage when both teams were at holes 12-14. Then a 4-under stretch on 15 (par-4, 402) and 16 (par-5, 559) moved Florida back in the lead and Gilligan closed out the third win of the season with a birdie on 18, bouncing back from a bogey the hole prior. He finished runner-up by a shot for his best finish as a Gator.
John DuBois sparked UF’s late round push with a birdie on 16. He nearly chipped-in with his ball bouncing off near the bottom of the flag stick. He then added some insurance with a birdie on 18. The 5th-year senior finished T33.
The next three birdies all came from each of the final three Gators in Turner (16), Wilkes (15) and Gilligan (15) on the deciding stretch at the Dye’s Valley Course.
The Gators will host the Gators Invitational at Mark Bostick Golf Course from Feb. 17-18.
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