The No. 12 Florida men’s golf team came back to win the Calusa Cup after trailing Louisville in the opening two rounds. The win marks the Gators’ third of the season following victories at the Barbara Nicklaus Cup and the Gator Invitational. This also marks the Gators’ second consecutive Calisa Cup title after a dominant showing against Purdue in 2024.
This year’s tournament began on Sunday, as freshman Zach Swanwick made moves early on. He shot 2-under on the afternoon, putting himself one shot back from the leader. His round helped the Gators end the day in second place behind unranked Louisville.
On day two of the tournament, Florida’s other individual golfers began to make strides. Senior Ian Gilligan shot 2-over par in the opening round, but shot four birdies in round two. Sophomore Jack Turner posted a score of 1-over for the round after ending at par on Sunday. Finally, fellow sophomore Luke Poulter ended round two with a total score of 1-over. All three Florida golfers were tied for eighth place after the first 36 holes.
Gilligan and Poulter are the only two UF golfers to earn individual first-place finishes this season. Gillgian’s win came earlier in the season at the Gators Invitational, where he earned his sixth collegiate victory. Meanwhile, Poulter secured his win at the team’s last tournament in Statesboro, Georgia. He notched a birdie on the 18th hole of the final round in order to secure his first win at Florida.
In round three, the dynamic Florida duo managed the pressure like champions, as both Gilligan and Turner found success on the greens. Gilligan was able to find the pin in just two strokes on hole 14, a par four. He ended the round at 5-under, moving him up to third place.
Joining him was Turner, who also shot 67 in round three. The sophomore tallied six birdies, allowing him to climb through the ranks. He and Gilligan tied for third place alongside Louisville sophomore Cooper Claycomb.
The team battle for first place came down to Louisville and Florida. The Gators finished on top with a score of 17-under, with the Cardinals only one shot behind. No. 10 UCLA came in at third, finishing 1-under.
With the conclusion of the regular season, the Florida Gators will now move on to the SEC Championship. The conference has a stacked lineup this year, with seven teams currently sitting in the national top 15. The tournament will begin on April 23 in St. Simons Island, Georgia, at the Sea Island Golf Club.
Contact Brooke at bbastedo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @BrookeBastedo.
