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.