Loaded field at 49th Gators Invitational will test No. 10 Gators

As the Florida Gators men’s golf team sets its sights on a sixth national championship this spring, it will lean on one of the most balanced and battle-tested rosters in the country. At Florida, the standard never changes — the goal is to be playing your best golf when the postseason arrives.

Sharpening that edge requires more than talent; it demands facing pressure often. That opportunity comes this weekend at the 49th Gators Invitational.

This year’s field brings plenty of bite. It features …

—Each of the last three national championship teams. Florida won it all in 2023, Auburn in 2024 and Oklahoma State in 2025. These three programs have won a combined 18 national titles, with OSU leading the way at 12.

—The No. 1 amateur golfer in the world. Yes, you read that right — the world. Auburn’s Jackson Koivun is a two-time SEC Player of the Year and has won several other prestigious honors, notably the Jack Nicklaus Award and Fred Haskins Award for the best golfer in college.

Koivun is so good that he competed in seven events on the PGA Tour in 2025. He made six cuts and had three top-10 finishes, including two in the top 5. And he’s not even 21 years old yet. He’s one of college golf’s most talented players in recent memory.

—Two other players in this event are in the top 5 of the World Golf Amateur Rankings: Preston Stout (No. 3) and Ethan Fang (No. 6), both of Oklahoma State. Auburn’s Josiah Gilbert is just outside the top 10 at No. 11.

—Five ranked teams: No. 5 Auburn, No. 10 Florida, No. 11 Oklahoma State, No. 20 Charlotte and No. 22 Notre Dame. Florida, Oklahoma State and Charlotte won their respective conference’s last year.

About the Florida Gators

—The Gators have won this event 31 times.
—Florida’s roster includes four players from last year’s starting lineup. In 2025, the Gators reached the NCAA National Championship semifinals, won their NCAA Regional, were SEC champions and claimed five total tournament titles.

—The Gators closed the fall season by winning back-to-back events. They then won their first tournament of the spring season two weekends ago.

This is what the Gators’ lineup will look like this weekend:

LINE UP
No. 1 – Matthew Kress
No. 2 – Jack Turner
No. 3 – Zack Swanwick
No. 4 – Parker Sands
No. 5 – Noah Kent
Individual – Josh Bai
Individual – Parker Bell
Individual – Trevor Gutschewski
Individual – Parker Severs

—Kress, a senior, is the lone member left from UF’s 2023 national championship team. He’s the No. 53 amateur in the world and is No. 18 in the PGA Tour University Rankings. Kress tied for third in UF’s first event of the spring.

—Turner is the world’s 20th-ranked amateur.

—Another Gator, Luke Poulter, is No. 15 in the world. He won’t play in this event do to back discomfort. Gators coach J.C. Deacon and the training staff are being extra cautious with him.

Here are the Florida Scores from the Sea Best Invitational, which UF won Feb. 3:

T3. Matthew Kress (-6)
T3. Josh Bai* (-6)
T12. Jack Turner (-1)
T12. Trevor Gutschewski* (-1)
T16. Zack Swanwick (E)
T16. Luke Poulter (E)
T27. Parker Sands (+2)
T27. Parker Severs* (+2)
T34. Noah Kent* (+3)
T34. Parker Bell* (+3)

*Competing as individuals

The event and the course

When: Saturday/Sunday
Where: Mark Bostick Golf Course, UF
Course Par/Yardage: 70 / 6,701 yards 
Format: 36 holes on Saturday and 18 on Sunday
Tee Times: Modified shotgun start; 7:20 a.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. on Sunday
Scoring: Clippd
Social Media:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Admission: Free. Overflow/additional parking is at CampusView Church on Saturday and the UF Law School on Sunday. Both are a short walking distance from the course.
Promotions: The first 75 fans on Saturday will receive a Florida Swinging Gator branded golf towel. Sunday, the first 100 University of Florida students (with a valid student ID) will receive a Swinging Gator T-Shirt.