Gator starting five earn PING All-Region
Saturday, May 30, 2026 | Men's Golf
Florida’s five selections are a program best and one of three schools (Illinois and Rutgers) with five honorees.
NORMAN, Okla. – In the midst of round two of the NCAA National Championship, the starting five of the No. 2 Florida men's golf team earned PING Southeast All-Region honors, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCCA) announced Saturday.
The Gators five selections are a program best and are one of three schools (Illinois and Rutgers) with five. It is the program's most since 2003 as UF previously had four years (2005-06, 2010 & 2023) with four selections.
The awards mark the 12th consecutive and every season Florida has had golfers earn the recognition under head coach J.C. Deacon. A total of 28 Gators have been selected over the last 12 years, including nine seasons with two or more selections
Jack Turner adds his third career All-Region accolade, becoming the sixth UF golfer to earn three-plus honors. The nod adds to his All-SEC First Team and Arnold Palmer Cup selections this season. He has team-bests in stroke average (71.06), top10s (5), top25s (10), birdies (111) and under par rounds (19). He tied for 7th at the SEC Championship at 8-under and went 2-0-1 in match play with the clinching point in the semifinals for the second straight year and took down Tommy Morrison of Texas.
Securing back-to-back awards is Luke Poulter. The junior captured his second collegiate tournament at the Columbus Regional. He is second on the team in stroke average (71.08) and top-10s (4). In his nine starts and outside of a T55 in the second event of the fall, he has finished T16 or better with every tournament score par or better.
The next three of the starting lineup – Matthew Kress, Parker Sands & Zack Swanwick – all collect the achievement for the first time. Kress recently earned his second straight T2 at NCAA Regionals and adds to his postseason outings with a T17 (-5) at the SEC Championship. He owns a team-best four top-5s and is second in birdies (105), par or better rounds (18) and top-10s (4).
Earning the final spot in the lineup, Sands has shined in his postseason debut. The sophomore placed T2 at Regionals after a T17 (-2) and two match play victories at the SEC Tournament. Four of his postseason rounds have been in the 60s. He holds a pair of T7s at the Gators Invitational and Calusa Cup.
Swanwick has had a steady second season. The sophomore has gone T16-T4-T7-10 in his last four starts. After going T60 and T36 in the season's first two events, Swanwick has finished T22 or better. He has knocked in 102 birdies, 15 par or better rounds and nine top-25s.
All-Region Southeast
Jake Albert, Auburn
Garrett Endicott, Mississippi State
Tom Fischer, Ole Miss
Josiah Gilbert, Auburn
Frankie Harris, South Carolina
Josh Hill, Tennessee
William Jennings, Alabama
Jackson Koivun, Auburn
Matthew Kress, Florida
Carter Loflin, Georgia
Noah McWilliams, LSU
Jay Mendell, LSU
Cayden Pope, Auburn
Luke Poulter, Florida
Wilhelm Ryding, USF
Parker Sands, Florida
Lance Simpson, Tennessee
Jon Ed Steed, Vanderbilt
Gunnlaugur Árni Sveinsson, LSU
Zack Swanwick, Florida
Cameron Tankersley, Ole Miss
Cohen Trolio, Ole Miss
Jack Turner, Florida
Tyler Weaver, Florida State
Wells Williams, Vanderbilt
The Gators five selections are a program best and are one of three schools (Illinois and Rutgers) with five. It is the program's most since 2003 as UF previously had four years (2005-06, 2010 & 2023) with four selections.
The awards mark the 12th consecutive and every season Florida has had golfers earn the recognition under head coach J.C. Deacon. A total of 28 Gators have been selected over the last 12 years, including nine seasons with two or more selections
Jack Turner adds his third career All-Region accolade, becoming the sixth UF golfer to earn three-plus honors. The nod adds to his All-SEC First Team and Arnold Palmer Cup selections this season. He has team-bests in stroke average (71.06), top10s (5), top25s (10), birdies (111) and under par rounds (19). He tied for 7th at the SEC Championship at 8-under and went 2-0-1 in match play with the clinching point in the semifinals for the second straight year and took down Tommy Morrison of Texas.
Securing back-to-back awards is Luke Poulter. The junior captured his second collegiate tournament at the Columbus Regional. He is second on the team in stroke average (71.08) and top-10s (4). In his nine starts and outside of a T55 in the second event of the fall, he has finished T16 or better with every tournament score par or better.
The next three of the starting lineup – Matthew Kress, Parker Sands & Zack Swanwick – all collect the achievement for the first time. Kress recently earned his second straight T2 at NCAA Regionals and adds to his postseason outings with a T17 (-5) at the SEC Championship. He owns a team-best four top-5s and is second in birdies (105), par or better rounds (18) and top-10s (4).
Earning the final spot in the lineup, Sands has shined in his postseason debut. The sophomore placed T2 at Regionals after a T17 (-2) and two match play victories at the SEC Tournament. Four of his postseason rounds have been in the 60s. He holds a pair of T7s at the Gators Invitational and Calusa Cup.
Swanwick has had a steady second season. The sophomore has gone T16-T4-T7-10 in his last four starts. After going T60 and T36 in the season's first two events, Swanwick has finished T22 or better. He has knocked in 102 birdies, 15 par or better rounds and nine top-25s.
All-Region Southeast
Jake Albert, Auburn
Garrett Endicott, Mississippi State
Tom Fischer, Ole Miss
Josiah Gilbert, Auburn
Frankie Harris, South Carolina
Josh Hill, Tennessee
William Jennings, Alabama
Jackson Koivun, Auburn
Matthew Kress, Florida
Carter Loflin, Georgia
Noah McWilliams, LSU
Jay Mendell, LSU
Cayden Pope, Auburn
Luke Poulter, Florida
Wilhelm Ryding, USF
Parker Sands, Florida
Lance Simpson, Tennessee
Jon Ed Steed, Vanderbilt
Gunnlaugur Árni Sveinsson, LSU
Zack Swanwick, Florida
Cameron Tankersley, Ole Miss
Cohen Trolio, Ole Miss
Jack Turner, Florida
Tyler Weaver, Florida State
Wells Williams, Vanderbilt
Players Mentioned
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