Balanced Arkansas edges Vanderbilt by a shot to capture team title in Watersound Invitational

 

   It wasn’t exactly a spring to remember for Arkansas golf a year ago, but the Razorbacks seemed to have turned the disappointment of last year into determination in the wraparound 2025-2026 season.

   Arkansas rallied with a 5-under-par 275 in the final round Wednesday to capture the team title in Watersound Invitational, edging Southeastern Conference rival Vanderbilt by a shot at The Third Course at the Watersound Club in Panama City, Fla.

   It was the second tournament title of the season for Arkansas, which also claimed the crown in its home event, the Blessings Collegiate Invitational at its home course, the Blessings Golf Club, in the fall.

   Arkansas grabbed the lead with a sparkling 11-under 269 over The Third Course, which measures 7,252 yards and plays to a par of 70, in last Monday’s opening round and fell six shots behind Vanderbilt when the Commodores ripped off a 13-under 267 in Tuesday’s second round.

   But a solid final round gave Arkansas a 19-under 821 total, one shot better than Vanderbilt’s 18-under 822 total.

   Arkansas only had two players finish in the top 10 and one of them, Thomas Curry, a junior from Texarkana, Ark., was competing as an individual.

   But the five Razorbacks that comprised the starting lineup all finished among the top 21. Maybe nobody was great, but everybody was pretty good and that was good enough to edge powerful Vanderbilt for the team title.

   Erich Fortlage, a sophomore from Portugal, joined Curry in the group of five players who finished in a tie for seventh place at 5-under 205.

   Fortlage fueled Arkansas’ fast start with a sparkling 4-under 66 in the opening round and matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 70 before closing with a 1-under 69.

   After opening with a 3-under 67, Curry carded back-to-back 69s in the final two rounds to join the quintet at 5-under. Curry didn’t count for Arkansas at The Third, as the course at Watersound is commonly referred, but in the run of a long season, he absolutely did count.

   Curry is part of a standard that’s been set with this Arkansas team. Fall off a little and there’s another guy ready to take your spot.

   Last spring, Arkansas failed to advance to the NCAA Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. as a nine seed in the Amherst Regional. Somehow the Razorbacks dropped three spots in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings from No. 8 to No. 11 in the aftermath of the Watersound victory.

   Vanderbilt was also at the Amherst Regional last spring and advanced to the NCAA Championship by finishing second as a three seed. The Commodores, however, were unable to earn a spot in the match-play bracket at La Costa, making it a disappointing spring by their standards.

   Vanderbilt opened with a 7-under 273 and then went really low with that 13-under 267 in Tuesday’s second round. The Commodores closed with a 2-over 282 to finish a shot behind Arkansas at 20-over.

   Vanderbilt was led by Michael Riebe, a freshman from Eincinitas, Calif. who shared medalist honors with two other freshmen, Texas Christian’s Nathan Miller of Dallas, Texas and Mississippi’s Daniel Tolf of Sweden as all three ended up at 9-under 201.

   In college golf these days, it’s not unusual for a freshman to make an immediate impact. These kids arrive on the scene ready to compete and the top of the leaderboard in the Watersound made that point abundantly clear.

   Tolf carded back-to-back 5-under 65s in the first two rounds to take a four-shot lead into the final round. Tolf backed off a little with a 1-over 71 in the final round.

   That allowed Vandy’s Riebe and TCU’s Miller to catch him at 9-under.

   Riebe opened with a sparkling 6-under 66 and fell five shots behind Tolf with a 1-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round. Riebe, however, closed with a bookend 66 to get a share of medalist honors.

   After opening with a 1-under 69, Miller joined Riebe at 5-under with a 66 through two rounds. Miller then closed with another 4-under 66 to join Tolf and Riebe at 9-under. It was the first collegiate victory for each player.

   Vanderbilt had another strong showing from Wells Williams, a senior from West Point, Miss. who joined the quintet tied for seventh place at 5-under.

   Williams, the last freshman to earn an individual victory for Vandy three years ago, added a 3-under 67 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 68 before matching par in the final round with a 70.

   Upstart TCU, behind Miller, finished eight shots behind Vanderbilt in third place with a 10-under 830 total.

   The Horned Frogs, out of the Big 12, matched par in the opening round with a 280 and then added back-to-back 5-under 275s in the final two rounds. TCU climbed a couple of spots in the Scoreboard rankings from No. 43 to No. 41 with its strong showing in the Watersound.

   TCU was unable to advance to the NCAA Championship last spring as a nine seed in the Auburn Regional.

   Florida State, an Atlantic Coast Conference power, was a shot behind TCU in fourth place with a 9-under 831 total.

   The Seminoles were solid throughout, adding a 3-under 277 in Tuesday’s second round to their opening-round 276 before closing with a 278.

   Florida State was led by Tyler Weaver, a senior from England and No. 9 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) who ended up a shot behind the three co-medalists in fourth place with an 8-under 202 total.

   Weaver was a member of the Great Britain & Ireland team that fell to the United States in the Walker Cup Match last summer at the Cypress Point Club on northern California’s Monterey Peninsula.

   The Luke Clanton era at Florida State ended up one frustrating shot out of a match-play berth in last spring’s NCAA Championship at La Costa.

   The Seminoles moved up two spots in the Scoreboard rankings from No. 41 to No. 39 following their fourth-place finish in the Watersound.

   Mississippi, behind Tolf, finished two shots behind Florida State in fifth place with a 7-under 873 total.

   Ole Miss was only four shots behind Vanderbilt going into the final round after the Rebels opened with a 10-under 270 and added a 2-under 278 in Tuesday’s second round. Ole Miss closed with a 5-over 285.

   Ole Miss reached the semifinals of the NCAA Championship at La Costa last spring before falling to eventual national champion Oklahoma State. The Rebels lost Michael La Sasso, the NCAA individual champion at La Costa last spring, to LIV Golf during college golf’s midseason pause.

   Ole Miss remained at No. 9 in the Scoreboard rankings following its fifth-place finish in the Watersound.

   Michigan State, a Big Ten representative, finished a shot behind Old Miss in sixth place in the 12-team field with a 6-under 834 total.

   After opening with a 2-over 282, the Spartans added a 2-under 278 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a solid 6-under 274 that matched the low team round of the final round.

   Michigan State had a pair of finishers in the top seven as Ashton McCulloch, a graduate student from Canada, finished alone in fifth place with a 7-under 203 total and Caleb Bond, a senior from Williamston, Mich., joined the quintet tied for seventh at 5-under.

   After matching par in the opening round with a 70, McCulloch recorded a sparkling 5-under 65 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 68.

   Bond also matched par in the opening round with a 70 and added a 1-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round before finishing strong with a 4-under 66.

   Michigan State was unable to earn a trip to the NCAA Championship as a 10 seed in the Tallahassee Regional last spring.

   Backing up Fortlage for Arkansas was Niilo Maki-Petaja, a junior from Finland, as he finished in a tie for 12^th place at 3-under 207. Maki-Petaja contributed back-to-back 3-under 67s to the Razorbacks’ cause in the first two rounds before finishing up with a 3-over 73.

   Gerardo Gomez, a sophomore from Mexico, was just behind Maki-Petaja in the group tied for 14^th place at 2-under 208 as he opened with a 2-under 68, added a 3-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round and contributed a 3-under 67 to Arkansas’ closing kick.

   Rounding out the Arkansas lineup were two of the players among the group tied for 21^st place at 1-under 219, Cam Smith, a junior from Shelbyville, Ky., and the Razorbacks’ most familiar player, senior John Daly II, the son of the two-time major champion from Clearwater, Fla. and No. 55 in the WAGR.

   Smith opened with a solid 2-under 68 and matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 70 before closing with a 1-over 71.

   Daly, who reached the quarterfinals of last summer’s U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club in San Francisco before falling to eventual champion Mason Howell, matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 70 after opening with a 1-over 71 and then contributed a 2-under 68 to Arkansas’ closing push.

   Mississippi State’s Jackson Skinner, a freshman from Birmingham, Ala., finished alone in sixth place in the individual standings, a shot behind Michigan State’s McCulloch with a 6-under 204 total. Skinner opened with the low individual round of the tournament, a sizzling 6-under 64 and then matched par in each of the final two rounds with a pair of 70s.

   Rounding out the fivesome tied for seventh place at 5-under was Kentucky’s Jacob Settles, a sophomore from Winchester, Ky., as he added a sparkling 4-under 66 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening round of 1-over 71 before closing with a 68.

   A familiar name from his days as a standout on the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour, Jack Tarzy, was in the lineup for Navy, a Patriot League representative.

   Tarzy, a senior from Medford, N.J. who played scholastically at The Hun School of Princeton, finished in the group tied for 38^th place with a 2-over 212 total. Tarzy was really solid, opening with a 2-under 68 and matching par in the second round with a 70 before closing with a 4-over 74.

   The Midshipmen finished last of 12 teams with a 31-over 871 total.

   Was hoping for a Nick Gross sighting at the Watersound, which was hosted by Alabama. The Crimson Tide, out of the SEC, finished in eighth place with a 3-under 837 total.

   Not only was Gross, the PIAA Class AAA champion as a junior at Downingtown West in 2021, not in the lineup, but Alabama brought three players to compete as individuals for its home tournament and Gross wasn’t in that group either.

   Haven’t heard about any injuries. They don’t put out an injury report in college golf like they do for the NFL. It might just be that Gross, a sophomore, is getting beat out in the team qualifiers for Alabama’s tournaments. I’ve seen some pretty good players have trouble making it out of team qualifiers.

   It might be as simple as a guy going through a swing change. It will be interesting to see how this plays out as the spring wears on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Auburn stays hot with victory in Moon Golf Invitational; Texas A&M's Borovilos cruises to individual title

 

   Don’t look now, but Auburn is on a nice little roll.

   The Tigers made it two straight tournament titles to start the spring portion of the wraparound 2025-2026 season and claimed their fourth victory of the season this week by rallying in the final round to edge Southeastern Conference rival Texas A&M by three shots in the Moon Golf Invitational hosted by Louisville at Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Fla.

   Auburn had opened its spring campaign with a team win in the UCF Challenge, presented by PDI at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., last month.

   The Tigers had been led at Eagle Creek by Katie Cranston, a senior from Canada and No. 71 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) who captured the individual crown.

   In the Moon Golf Invitational, Cranston was the lowest finisher in the Auburn lineup, ending up in the group tied for 33^rd place with a 5-over 221 total.

   But good teams pick each other up and, even with Cranston not at her best, Molly Brown Davidson, a sophomore from Springville, Ala., stepped up with a runnerup finish in the individual standings with a 3-under 213 total.

   Auburn opened with a 4-over 292 over the 6,443-yard, par-71 Suntree layout and crept within three shots of Texas A&M with a 5-under 283 in Monday’s second round. The Tigers then closed with a 6-under 282 for a 7-under 857 total.

   Auburn entered the week at No. 8 in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings, but moved up to No. 5 on the strength of its second straight tournament win.

   Brown Davidson opened with a solid 2-under 70 and added a 2-over 74 in Monday’s second round before contributing a 3-under 69 to Auburn’s strong finish to end up four shots behind Texas A&M’s Vanessa Borovilos, a sophomore from Canada and No. 34 in the Women’s WAGR.

   Auburn got another strong showing from Charlotte Cantonis, a freshman from Tampa, Fla. who finished in a tie for eighth place with Texas’ Farah O’Keefe, a junior home girl from Austin, Texas and No. 6 in the Women’s WAGR, each landing on even-par 216.

   Cantonis struggled to a 7-over 79 in the opening round, but bounced back in a big way with the low round of the tournament, a 7-under 65 in Monday’s second round, before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Auburn had a disappointing finish to its 2024-’25 season, failing to advance to the NCAA Championship as a three seed in the Gold Canyon Regional.

   Texas A&M, which moved up from No. 6 in the Scoreboard rankings to No. 4 in the aftermath of its runnerup finish at Suntree, opened up a three-shot lead over Auburn going into the final round as the Aggies opened with a 3-under 285 and added a 1-under 287 in Monday’s second round. Texas A&M matched par in the final round with a 288 to end up three shots behind Auburn with a 4-under 860 total.

   Borovilos added a sparkling 4-under 68 in Monday’s second round to her opening-round 70 to take a three-shot lead into the final round. She closed with a 1-under 71 to cruise to the second individual win of her collegiate career with a 7-under 209 total.

   Borovilos had finished in a tie for ninth place to lead Texas A&M to a third-place finish in a loaded field in the Therese Hession Regional Challenge, the opener to the Aggies’ spring campaign, last month at the Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

   Texas A&M got another top-10 finish in the individual standings from Natalie Yen, a freshman from West Linn, Ore. who ended up among a trio of rookies tied for 10^th place along with LSU’s Ryleigh Knaub of Debary, Fla., and Mississippi State’s Ines Belchior of Portugal, each landing on 1-over 217.

   After opening with a 1-over 73, Yen matched par in each of the final two rounds with back-to-back 72s.

   Texas A&M fell short of a trip to last spring’s NCAA Championship when the Aggies lost out in a playoff to Purdue after finishing in a tie for fifth place as a four seed in the Lubbock Regional. Texas came out on fire in the fall, winning four times in five starts to open the wraparound 2025-’26 season.

   Mississippi State made it a sweep of the top three spots for the SEC as the Bulldogs finished 11 shots behind Texas A&M in third place with a 7-over 871 total.

   Mississippi State, the runnerup to Auburn in last month’s UCF Challenge, added a 3-under 285 in Monday’s second round to its opening round of 9-over 297 before closing with a 1-over 289.

   The Bulldogs, who moved up from No. 16 to No. 11 in the Scoreboard rankings in the aftermath of the Moon Golf Invitational, were led by Belchior, who finished among that trio tied for 10^th place at 1-over.

   Belchior added a 1-over 73 in Monday’s second round to her opening-round 76 before finishing strong with a 4-under 68.

   Mississippi State advanced to last spring’s NCAA Championship at the La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. by finishing in fourth place as a four seed in the Gold Canyon Regional, but was unable to earn a spot in the match-play bracket at La Costa.

   Reigning Atlantic Coast Conference champion Wake Forest finished a shot behind Mississippi State in fourth place with an 8-over 872 total.

   The Demon Deacons matched par in Monday’s second round with a 288 after opening with a 5-over 293 before closing with a 3-over 291.

   Wake Forest was led by Macy Pate, a junior home girl from Winston-Salem, N.C. and No. 38 in the Women’s WAGR, and Anne-Starre den Dunnen, a senior from The Netherlands, as they shared third place in the individual standings with LSU’s Elsa Svensson, a graduate student from Sweden competing as an individual, and UCF’s Pimpisa “Sandwich” Sisutham, a senior from Thailand and No. 82 in the Women’s WAGR, the quartet landing on 2-under 214.

   Pate opened with a 2-under 70 and added a 1-over 73 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 1-under 71. Den Dunnen bounced back from an opening round of 3-over 75 with a sparkling 5-under 67 in Monday’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Wake Forest, which retained its No. 7 spot in the Scoreboard rankings following its fourth-place finish in the Moon Golf Invitational, reached the NCAA Championship by capturing the team title as a two seed in the Lubbock Regional last spring, but never got it going at La Costa.

   A couple more SEC representatives, Tennessee and Florida, finished in fifth and sixth place, respectively, in a strong 17-team field.

   The Volunteers, who moved up from No. 22 to No. 19 in the Scoreboard rankings in the aftermath of the Moon Golf Invitational, bounced back from an opening-round 299 with a solid 2-under 286 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 4-over 292 that left them five shots behind Wake Forest with a 13-over 877 total.

   Tennessee was led by Manassanan Chotikabhukkana, a senior from Thailand who finished alone in seventh place in the individual standings with a 1-under 215 total. After opening with a 2-over 74, Chotikabhukkana recorded a 1-under 71 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 2-under 70.

   Tennessee advanced to last spring’s NCAA Championship by finishing in fourth place as a six seed in the Lubbock Regional, but were unable to earn a spot in the match-play bracket at La Costa.

   Florida, which dropped from No. 5 to No. 8 in the Scoreboard rankings following its showing at Suntree, was very consistent, registering a pair of 5-over 293s in the first two rounds and finishing up with a 4-over 292 to end up a shot behind Tennessee with a 14-over 878 total.

   It was the third tournament of the spring already for Florida, which was coming off a fourth-place finish in that tough field in the Therese Hession Regional Challenge.

   The Gators reached the NCAA Championship last spring by finishing in a tie for third place in the Charlottesville Regional, but were unable to earn a spot in the match-play bracket at La Costa.

   Backing up Brown Davidson and Cantonis for Auburn were Anna Davis, a junior from Spring Valley, Calif. and No. 14 in the Women’s WAGR, and Carys Worby, a redshirt senior from Wales, as they both ended up among the group tied for 13^th place at 2-over 218.

   Davis, a member of the U.S. Curtis Cup team that fell to Great Britain & Ireland at Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire, England two years ago and likely to make the U.S. team again for this year’s Curtis Cup Match at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif., opened with a 1-over 73 and added a 75 in Monday’s second round before contributing a key 2-under 70 while Auburn was rallying for the team win in the final round.

   Worby also got off to a slow start with an opening round of 3-over 75, but she matched par in Monday’s second round with a 72 and closed with a 1-under 71 to join the group at 2-over.

   Cranston, coming off that victory in the UCF Challenge, opened with a 2-over 74 and matched par in Monday’s second round with a 72 before closing with a 75 to end up at 5-over.

   Anne Fernandez, a sophomore from Singapore, competed as an individual for Auburn and finished alone in 62^nd place with a 227 total. Fernandez opened with a 1-over 73 and added a 75 in Monday’s second round before struggling in the final round with a 79.

   Sisutham, UCF’s senior standout, closed with a sparkling 4-under 68 to get her share of third place at 2-under.

   The Knights, a Big 12 representative, finished in a tie for ninth place with the ACC’s Duke at 21-over 885. UCF fell two spots in the Scoreboard rankings from No. 15 to No. 17 in the aftermath of the Moon Golf Invitational.

   LSU’s Svensson closed with a sizzling 6-under 66 to join the quartet tied for third place at 2-under. Svensson had posted back-to-back 2-over 74s in the first two rounds. She certainly earned some consideration for a spot in the first five for LSU.

   The Tigers also got a top-10 individual showing from the freshman Knaub, who matched par in the final round with a 72 to join the trio tied for 10^th place at 1-over. Knaub had opened with a 2-over 74 before adding a 1-under 71 in Monday’s second round.

   LSU finished in 13^th place in the team standings with a 32-over 896 total and dropped two spots in the Scoreboard rankings from No. 32 to No. 34 in the aftermath of the Moon Golf Invitational.

   Speaking of talented freshmen, Duke’s Avery McCrery, the pride of Wilmington, Del., had a solid showing, finishing among the group tied for 25^th place with a 4-over 220 total. McCrery’s game showed some rust in an opening round of 5-over 77, but she bounced back with a 2-under 70 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 1-over 73.

   Katie Li, a junior from Basking Ridge, N.J., is one of the veterans for the Blue Devils these days. She finished in the group tied for 49^th place with a 7-over 224 total. Li also showed some rust in an opening round of 5-over 77, but improved with a 73 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 74.

   The Dookies, who maintained their No. 13 spot in the Scoreboard rankings, shared ninth place with UCF at 21-over 885.

   Duke was without its star freshman, Rianne Malixi, who rose to No. 18 in the Women’s WAGR following her victory in the Blue Devils’ spring opener, the Sea Best Intercollegiate at San Jose Country Club in Jacksonville, Fla.

   Malixi of the Philippines was half a world away finishing in a tie for third place in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific at Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand.

   Kiera Bartholomew, a junior at Virginia from Wake Forest, N.C., finished in 79^th place with a 234 total. Bartholomew, who played out of Indian Valley Country Club in Telford as a youngster before heading south to North Carolina, bounced back from an opening-round 80 with a 1-over 73 in Monday’s second round before closing with an 81.

   The Cavaliers, another ACC entry, finished in 16^th place with a 46-over 910 total. Virginia fell from No. 38 to No. 42 in the Scoreboard rankings following the Moon Golf Invitational.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Florida tough at home in taking team title in Gator Invitational; Auburn's Koivun the individual champion

 

   The last three national champions in men’s Division I golf gathered last weekend for the 49^th Gators Invitational at Florida’s home base, the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla.

   Not a total shocker that Florida, which won the fifth national title in the program’s rich golf history in 2023 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., would pull away in Sunday’s final round for a 14-shot victory over Southeastern Conference rival Auburn.

   It also wouldn’t be a total shocker to see all three of these teams among the final eight standing for match play when this spring’s NCAA Championship unfolds at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. as they were last spring when Big 12 power Oklahoma State emerged with the 12^th national championship in the Cowboys’ storied golf history.

   A talented Florida team, No. 10 in the latest Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings, posted a sparkling 14-under-par 266 over the familiar 6,701-yard, par-70 Mark Bostick layout in the afternoon of a Valentine’s Day double round to take a five-shot lead over Auburn, which captured the program’s first national championship in 2024 at La Costa, into Sunday’s final round.

   The reigning SRC champion Gators, who had opened with a solid 9-under 271, finished up with a 4-under 276 in Sunday’s final round when the temperatures went down and the winds came up for a 27-under 813 total that gave them a seventh straight victory in their home tournament.

   The Mark Bostick layout, a Donald Ross original with a significant touch-up by Bobby Weed 25 years ago, is shortish, considering how far these kids hit the ball these days. It can surrender a low score, but it seems to hold up pretty good against some of the best amateur players in the world.

   Case in point was the individual champion in the Gator Invitational, Auburn’s Jackson Koivun, a junior from Chapel Hill, N.C., who is the very best amateur player in the world, so says the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

   Koivun, coming off a mind-boggling 25-under performance to finish five shots clear of the field in the birdie-fest that is the Amer Ari Intercollegiate at Mauni Lani’s North Course on Hawaii’s Kohala Coast, jumped in front with a sizzling 6-under 64 in the opening round of the Gator Invitational.

   He added a couple of more modest rounds, a 1-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and a 2-under 68 in Sunday’s final round, to finish two shots clear of the field with a 9-under 201 total.

   Koivun led the way for Auburn as the Tigers, No. 2 in the latest Scoreboard rankings, led Florida by two shots following an opening round of 11-under 269, fell five shots behind the Gators with a 7-under 273 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and closed with a 5-over 285 to earn runnerup honors with a 13-under 827 total.

   Florida’s depth was on display at its home course as six Gators finished in the top 10 in the individual standings, led by Matthew Kress, a senior from Saratoga, Calif. and No. 53 in the WAGR, and Noah Kent, a junior from Naples, Fla., both of whom ended up in a trio tied for third place along with Auburn’s Jake Albert, a freshman from Blacksburg, Va. at 6-under 204.

   Kress, who was in the lineup for Florida in its victory over Georgia Tech in the NCAA Championship’s Final Match at Grayhawk in the spring of 2023, was a shot behind Auburn’s Albert going in the final round after Kress added a sparkling 4-under 66 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 67. Kress closed with a 1-over 71.

   Kent transferred to Florida in the middle of the wraparound 2024-2025 season from Iowa after his unlikely march to the U.S. Amateur final in the summer of 2024 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

   Kent couldn’t crack the Florida lineup last spring, but it looks like he’s starting to find his groove again. Kent ripped off three straight 2-under 68s to join his teammate Kress at 6-under.

   Zack Swanwick, a sophomore from New Zealand and No. 57 in the WAGR, finished alone in sixth place at 5-under 205. After opening with a 1-over 71, Swanwick recorded a 2-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a sparkling 4-under 66 in the difficult conditions of Sunday’s final round.

   Swanwick just kept coming up big for the Gators as a freshman a year ago as they marched to the SEC crown and all the way to the semifinals of the NCAA Championship before falling to eventual runnerup Virginia.

   Parker Sands, a senior from Edmond, Okla. and Jack Turner, a junior from Orlando, Fla. and No. 20 in the WAGR, finished in a tie for seventh place for Florida along with Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout, a junior from Richardson, Texas and No. 3 in the WAGR, each landing on 4-under 206.

   Sands added a 2-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 67 before matching par in the final round with a 70.

   Turner was another player tied for second place, along with his teammate Kress and Auburn’s Koivun, going into Sunday’s final round as Turner ripped off a sizzling 6-under 64 in Saturday afternoon’s second round after opening with a 69. Turner closed with a 3-over 73.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the individual standings was Trevor Gutschewski, a sophomore from Omaha, Neb. who was competing as individual for Florida and finished alone in 10^th place with a 3-under 207 total.

   Gutschewski, the son of PGA Tour player Scott Gutschewski and winner of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. in 2024, rattled off three straight 1-under 69s at the Gators’ home course.

   Reigning national champion Oklahoma State, No. 12 in the Scoreboard rankings, was the only other team to finish under par for three rounds at the Mark Bostick Course as the Cowboys ended up 11 shots behind Auburn in third place with a 2-under 838 total.

   Oklahoma State was led by Stout, who opened with a 3-under 67, added a 1-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and matched par in the final round with a 70 to join Gators Sands and Turner in the tie for seventh place at 4-under.

   American Athletic Conference representative South Florida, No. 70 in the Scoreboard rankings, ended up six shots behind Oklahoma State in fourth place with a 4-over 844 total. After opening with a 6-over 286, the Bulls registered a solid 5-under 275 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 283.

   USF was led by Wilhelm Ryding, a junior from Sweden who was the runnerup in the individual standings as he finished two shots behind Koivun with a 7-under 203 total. After opening with a 2-under 68, Ryding surged into contention on the strength of a sparkling 5-under 65 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 70.

   USF earned a ticket to last spring’s NCAA Championship by finishing in fourth place as a five seed in the Bremerton Regional, but were unable to earn a spot in the match-play bracket at La Costa.

   Charlotte, which edged USF in a playoff to claim the AAC crown last spring, finished eight shots behind Bulls in fifth place with a 12-over 852 total. The 49ers, No. 20 in the Scoreboard rankings, were pretty solid all weekend, opening with a 3-over 283, adding a 285 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and closing with a 284.

   Charlotte joined USF in last spring’s Bremerton Regional, but failed to advance to the NCAA Championship as a seven seed.

   Notre Dame, playing out of the tough Atlantic Coast Conference, finished two shots behind Charlotte in sixth place with a 14-over 854 total. The Fightin’ Irish bounced back from an opening-round 291 with a solid 4-under 276 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 7-over 287.

   Notre Dame, No. 71 in the Scoreboard rankings, failed to advance to the NCAA Championship at La Costa last spring as a seven seed in the Tallahassee Regional.

   Notre Dame was led by Jacob Modleski, a junior from Noblesville, Ind. and No. 16 in the WAGR as he finished among the group tied for 17^th place with a 1-over 211 total. After opening with a 1-over 71 at the Mark Bostick Course, Modleski contributed a sparkling 3-under 67 to the Irish’s second-round surge before closing with a 73.

   Modleski joined Auburn’s Koivun and Josiah Gilbert, a junior from Millcreek, Ala. and No. 12 in the WAGR, Oklahoma State’s Stout and Florida’s Turner among a group of 18 players who teed it up in Jupiter, Fla. in December in a practice session for candidates for the United States team for this summer’s Walker Cup Match at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland.

   Modleski, Koivun and Stout were members of the U.S. team that claimed a 17-9 victory over Great Britain & Ireland in last summer’s Walker Cup Match at the iconic Cypress Point Club on northern California’s Monterey Peninsula.

   Liberty, a Conference USA representative, finished in seventh place with a 19-over 859 total as the Flames, No. 80 in the Scoreboard rankings, matched par in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a 280 after opening with a 9-over 289 before closing with a 290.

   It was the spring opener for Penn State, a Big Ten entry, and the Nittany Lions finished in 15^th place in the 18-team field with a 36-over 876 total. Penn State opened with a 9-over 289, added a 292 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and closed with a 295.

   Really strong showing for Auburn freshman Albert backing up Koivun as Albert joined Florida’s Kress and Kent in the tie for third place at 6-under. Albert held the individual lead following Saturday’s double round as he matched Koivun’s opening round of 6-under 64 and added a 68 in the afternoon. Albert closed with a 2-over 72.

   Gilbert, Auburn’s other candidate for the U.S. Walker Cup team, finished among the group tied for 21^st place at 2-over 212. Gilbert matched par in the opening round with a 70 and added a 3-under 67 in Saturday afternoon’s second, but struggled in the final round with a 5-over 75.

   Gutschewski wasn’t the only Gator to compete as an individual as head coach J.C. Deacon sent out three more talented players, all of whom had solid finishes.

   Sophomore Josh Bai, like Swanwich a New Zealander, sandwiched a 2-over 72 in Saturday’s second round with a pair of even-par 70s to finish in the group tied for 21^st place at 2-over 212. Bai was the runnerup in the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2023 at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, S.C.

   Parker Bell, a senior from Tallahassee, Fla., and Parker Severs, a freshman from Lakewood Ranch, Fla., finished among the group tied for 30^th place, each landing on 4-over 214.

   After opening with a solid 1-under 69, Bell added a 2-over 72 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 73. Severs added a 1-under 69 in Saturday’s second round to his opening round of 2-over 72 before finishing up with a 73.

   Florida was without injured Luke Poulter, a junior from Orlando, Fla. and No. 15 in the WAGR. Luke Poulter lives in Orlando, but he’s a Brit, the son of U.S. Ryder Cup nemesis Ian Poulter. Luke Poulter was on the GB&I team that fell to the U.S. last summer at Cypress Point.

   A couple of familiar names in the Notre Dame lineup as senior Calen Sanderson, the PIAA Class AAA champion in 2020 as a junior at Holy Ghost Prep, finished among the group tied for 40^th place at 5-over 215 and junior Rocco Salvitti, a four-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier during an outstanding scholastic career at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, landed in the group tied for 48^th place with a 7-over 217 total.

   Sanderson’s senior season got off to a great start when he finished in a tie for second place in the Folds of Honor Collegiate at the American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Mich. and followed that up with an individual victory in the Canadian Collegiate Invitational at the Oviinbyrd Golf Club in Ontario.

   After opening with a 1-over 71 at the Mark Bostick Course, Sanderson carded back-to-back 2-over 72s in the final two rounds.

   Salvitti, who rolled to a five-shot victory in last summer’s Pennsylvania Amateur Championship at Huntsville Golf Club in Dallas, struggled in the opening round at the Mark Bostick Course with a 7-over 77, but bounced right back with a sparkling 4-under 66 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 74.

   Speaking of Huntsville, it was a Huntsville member, Michael Lugiano, the PIAA Class AA runnerup as a senior at Lake Lehman in 2023, who was the runnerup to Salivitti in last summer’s Pennsylvania Am on his home course.

   Lugiano, a sophomore, led the way for Liberty in the Gator Invitational as he finished among the trio tied for 12^th place with a 1-over 211 total. Lugiano added a solid 2-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 1-over 71 before matching par in the final round with a 70.

   It is the final season at Liberty for Norristown’s Josh Ryan, winner of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship three straight times from 2020 to 2022.

   After shaking off the rust in an opening round of 6-over 76, Ryan posted a 1-over 71 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 70 that left him in the group tied for 48^th place with a 7-over 217 total.

   Also in the lineup for the Flames was senior Evan Barbin of the golfing Barbin family of Elkton, Md. Barbin got off to a solid start with a pair of 1-over 71s in Saturday’s double round before closing with a 76 that left him in a tie for 60^th place with an 8-over 218 total.

   Leading the way for Penn State was Alex Creamean, a junior from Winnetka, Ill. who finished in the group tied for 21^st place at 2-over 212. Creamean, coming off a solid fall campaign for the Nittany Lions, got off to a good start with an opening round of 1-under 69 and added a 3-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 70.

   Backing up Creamean for Penn State was Andres Barraza, a senior from Parkland, Fla. who finished among the group tied for 48^th place with a 7-over 217 total. Barraza was really solid in Saturday’s double round, adding a 2-under 68 in the afternoon to his opening round of 1-over 71, before falling back a little with a final-round 78.

   Jackson Soroney, a freshman from Syracuse, N.Y., added a 5-over 75 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 74 before closing with a 72 as he finished in the group tied for 69^th place at 221 for the Nittany Lions.

   Will Preston, a sophomore from Grand Rapids, Mich., finished in a tie for 90^th place at 228 as he added a 6-over 76 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 75 before closing with a 77.

   Rounding out the Penn State lineup was Zach Smith, a junior from Canada who finished among a trio of players tied for 95^th place at 232. After opening with a 7-over 77, Smith added a 79 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with his best round of the weekend, a 76.

   Sophomore Nick Turowski, a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier during an outstanding scholastic career at Penn Trafford, was in the lineup for West Virginia and finished alone in 82^nd place with a 224 total.

   Turowski, winner of the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s R. Jay Sigel Match Play Championship last summer at Rolling Green Golf Club, added a 4-over 74 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 73 before finishing up with a 77.