Fred Biondi becomes third Florida Gator to win NCAA individual golf title
Florida’s Fred Biondi claimed medalist honors on Monday at the NCAA Golf Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Biondi fired rounds of 69, 68, 69 and 67 on the par-70 layout to finish 7-under and win by one shot over Ross Steelman of Georgia Tech and Jackson Buchanan of Illinois. He two-putt from about 50 feet on the 18th hole to clinch it. He was five off the lead when the day began.
Biondi is the third Gator player in history to win this event. He joins Bob Murphy (1966) and Nick Gilliam (2001).
PGA player and former Gator Billy Horschel Tweeted this following Bondi’s win: “Congrats to @FredBiondi on winning the National Championship Individual Title! The kid is really good. Works really hard at the game and loves to learn. Can’t happen to a better person! So happy for him. 3rd @GatorsGolf player to win and individual title.”
Biondi, a native of São Paulo, Brazil, is the first player ever from South America to be the NCAA men’s golf champion. This was his third individual title this season.
Recent winners of this event include the following: Matthew Wolff of Oklahoma State (2019), Bryson DeChambeau of SMU (2015) and Max Homa of Cal (2013).
Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley announced in April the reigning NCAA Division I individual champ will automatically qualify for the 2024 Masters, so long as they still are an amateur. It is not clear at this time when Biondi, a senior, will turn pro.
Behind Bondi’s play, the Gators finished in the top eight of the team event, meaning they qualified for the match play portion and still have a shot at the team NCAA championship. The quarterfinals begin Tuesday.
Florida finished stroke play tied for second with Illinois. North Carolina will be the top seed entering the quarterfinals.
