UF golfer Ian Gilligan sets tone for defending national champion Gators
GAINESVILLE — Florida golfer Ian Gilligan is a planner.
This can be both a blessing and a curse.
Gilligan’s transfer from Long Beach State has worked out as well as could be expected for himself and the No. 15 Gators, who begin defense of their national title Monday at NCAA Regionals.
“Ian’s been a home run,” coach JC Deacon told the Orlando Sentinel. “He’s been such a great fit for us.”
Gilligan’s laser-focused practice routine and consistent results, including 70.8 scoring average and 5 top-10 finishes, have set the tone for a rebuilding team that struggled in the fall before winning four of six tournaments since January.
“There aren’t many people who hit more golf balls than him day to day,” said sophomore Matthew Kress, a key member of the 2023 champions. “That’s just because of how much he loves the game.”
But a love of golf can be fickle — and frustrating. Lately, things have not gone quite according to plan for Gilligan.
A Feb. 27 win at the prestigious 2024 Southern Highlands Collegiate — Gilligan’s fifth career collegiate victory but first at UF — culminated a remarkable run featuring three consecutive top-3s finishes and a second-round 62 at the Gators Invitational.
Since then, Gilligan has not cracked the top 15 in three tries, including a tie for 30th in the recent SEC Championships for the nation’s No. 23 player.
The 21-year-old showed resilience with a match-play victory against Vanderbilt star Gordon Sargent during the Gators’ sudden-death defeat in the quarterfinals. Yet Gilligan’s generally pedestrian play relative to his high standards has weighed heavily.
“For some reason it’s really affected me,” he told the Sentinel. “I’ve been really disappointed and upset with my play.”
Gilligan now aims to turn the page during the most pressure-packed and important tournament on the schedule. The third-seeded Gators are among 13 teams at Purdue’s Kampen-Cosler Course pushing to advance to the May 24-29 NCAA Championships during one of six 54-hole regionals during the next three days.
This will be Gilligan’s second trip to the regionals. But his surprising 2023 Long Beach squad’s season ended there. Meanwhile, Florida will not be just happy to be there.
“When you’re expected to make it, it’s a little bit different, especially as a coach,” Gilligan said.
After winning it all, Deacon’s Gators are again well positioned to challenge, especially if UF No. 1 player Gilligan performs to his potential.
Kress has been rock-solid while Orlando freshman Jack Turner has evolved into a phenom, culminating with a runner-up finish at SECs. Sophomore Parker Bell is explosive and fifth-year senior John Dubois, a stalwart on last season’s team, has worked his way back into the starting five after a trying season.
“The team is in as good of a spot as we’ve been all season,” Gilligan said. “We have a great opportunity.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
