GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida men’s golf coach J.C. Deacon woke up Sunday morning fully aware of the potential pitfalls that awaited in the final round of the Gators Invitational.

The host Gators owned a three-shot lead over fifth-ranked Auburn and its star player, Jackson Koivun, currently the No. 1-ranked amateur player in the world and the reigning two-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. Nothing was guaranteed, and certainly not with a weather front moving through that forecast wind gusts up to 45 mph and the past two national champions (Auburn in 2024, Oklahoma State in 2025) in the field.

But if Deacon needed comforting reassurance, all he had to do was look at his lineup. The 10th-ranked Gators were treating their only home tournament of the season as if it were nothing more than a Tuesday afternoon practice round in ideal conditions.

Deacon bounced around the course, focused on what he called the “danger holes,” such as the short par-3 No. 8 that requires a tee shot over a lake onto the green, and holes Nos. 3, 7 and 12, par-5s that Deacon knew the Gators needed to stay away from bogies to keep from faltering.

In retrospect, Deacon could have slept like a baby on Saturday night.

He had nothing to fret about as the Gators closed with a round of 4-under – the only team other than 12th-place finisher UCF (1-under) in Sunday’s final round to shoot under-par – and cruised to their seventh consecutive Gators Invitational title. Koivun claimed the individual title at 9-under, but Florida senior Matthew Kress and teammate Noah Kent applied pressure to finish tied for third at 6-under.

Florida’s 27-under team score was 14 strokes better than runner-up Auburn in what turned into a runaway victory, and the Gators’ fourth consecutive win overall.

“It didn’t feel easy,” Deacon said. “The special thing with this team, if we take care of our business and play our best, I think we know we can beat anyone.”

The Gators were home, which always provides an advantage due to the familiarity of the course and the ability to sleep in their own beds, but Florida’s performance eclipsed those benefits. This was a team that played as if on a mission, a group announcing its intent to be a major player in the postseason.

While Kress and Kent led the way, all five UF golfers in the lineup finished under par. Kent fired three consecutive 68s in the tournament, including a tournament-best 17 birdies. Kress (67-66-71—204) battled the conditions Sunday after two sub-par rounds, and his eagle at the par-14th provided a late lift to ease any concerns in the team standings. Meanwhile, of the nine Gators who participated in the tournament, six finished below par. Zack Swanwick (-5), Parker Sands (-4), Jack Turner (-4) and Trevor Gutschewski (-3) joined Kent and Kress.

“This team is just so different,” Deacon said. “We have the most insane depth that I’ve ever seen on a college golf team. So much talent, and it really showed.”

The Gators have the look of a team capable of doing big things later in the year, reminiscent of the 2023 Gators that won the national championship.

They are strong from top to bottom, with every spot in the lineup up for grabs each week. Kent, a transfer from Iowa who had never been part of a tournament-winning team until Sunday, played his way into the lineup during a strong qualifying round.

He closed the final round with birdies at 17 and 18, a fitting end to his coming-out party with the Gators.

“Whenever I got here, I was struggling big-time,” Kent said. “To see everything kind of pay off and get in the lineup is nice. We kept it simple. You don’t want to overcomplicate your home course.”

As Kent walked up to the 18th green, he peeked at the scoreboard and saw all five Gators in the lineup in the top 10. It was that kind of tournament for the home team.

“I don’t want to say anything I shouldn’t, but we’re a good team,” said Kress, who, along with Parker Bell, is one of the only two players left from the 2023 national championship team. “We know how good we are. People always ask me if this team is better than when you guys won it in 2023. Honestly, I have no idea. We’ve got 10 guys on this team who can really play. It’s just great for the competitiveness.”

The Gators’ latest victory came without injured veteran Luke Poulter, who remains sidelined. The combination of talent and depth provides cushion and the ability for Deacon to challenge the players each week.

That won’t stop.

“We’ve got to remember what got us there,” Deacon said. “Hopefully, this fuels the fire for these guys to work harder than they even have, because you know it can turn into moments like these. The commitment level on this team is second to none. Their preparation is so good, they’re ready for these moments.”

Newcomer Kent’s eyes are wide open. Deacon told him before the tournament that there were no freebies and that he had to play his way into the lineup, and he did.

Once there, Kent rose to the occasion, feeding off a team in full bloom.

“Everybody works their butt off, Kent said. “Everybody’s here from sunup to sundown. Everybody believes in another. It doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup; everybody is rooting for another.”

Kress is on the opposite end of the spectrum. He is a veteran with a national championship ring, having matured into a team leader and having undergone changes in his game over the past four seasons that have him in peak form.

He didn’t blink on Sunday in the imperfect conditions.

“It was nasty out there,” he said. “Great teams bring out the best in other great teams. I think that was huge for us. We knew we were going to have to play our best.”

They did.

And as the wind picked up and dark clouds swept in on Sunday afternoon, the sunny Gators gathered for a team photo. Once again, they were champions of the Gators Invitational.

They have more championships in mind. The way they are playing, don’t count them out.

“Those guys all know they’ve got to be sharp every day, every week to keep their spot,” Deacon said. “That’s what is driving us to be a great team.”