USF Athletics

Gifford Paces Men's Golf As Bulls Finish Fifth in Strong Valspar Field

March 16, 2021

PALM CITY (MARCH 16, 2021) – The USF men's golf team bested a trio of top-10 ranked teams at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational on Tuesday, finishing fifth overall in the 11-team field with a 7-under-par score of 845.
 
The Bulls had a two-shot lead after Monday's opening round after shooting a season-low 271, but fell back in the loaded field after posting a 292 in round two later that day. USF responded with a strong team effort in Tuesday's final round by shooting a 282.
 
No. 1 Florida State won the two-day tournament with a three-round score of 831. The Bulls entered the event at No. 29 in the Golfstat national rankings, and finished just two strokes behind No. 7 Arizona State in fourth place. USF's team score of seven-under-par was two shots better than No. 9 Clemson, and the Bulls also finished ahead of No. 4 Pepperdine (-4) and No. 10 SMU (-2).
 
Luke Gifford (Boca Raton) tied for 14th place individually to lead USF. Gifford carded rounds of 69 (-2), 71 (E) and 71 for a three-round total of 211. Albin Bergstrom (Falsterbo, Sweden) was just one stroke behind his teammate at 212 (65, 75, 72) to finish tied for 16th. The sophomore's round one score of 65 on Monday matched a season best.
 
Kyle Flexsenhar (Lake Mary) also matched his season low of 65 in round one. The senior finished in 25th overall with a three-round total of 215 (68, 72, 75). Sam Nicholson (Atlantic Beach) shot opening and closing rounds of 69 while finishing with a 218 for the event. Runchanapong Youprayong (Bangkok, Thailand) rounded out the USF lineup with a 221 (77, 74, 70).
 
Luc Breuer (Germany) competed as an individual and finished with a total of 235 (75, 80, 80).
 
The Bulls return to the links on Sunday, March 28 for The Hayt, a two-day outing at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach.
 
About USF Men's Golf
USF men's golf program has captured 16 conference titles and seen players earn 18 All-America honors. From 2015-18 the Bulls captured four consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship titles in wire-to-wire fashion, had three individual conference champions and have earned seven straight trips to NCAA Regionals. The program is led by Steve Bradley, who has been named American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year four times since taking over the program in 2014. The Bulls have posted 19 tournament wins under Bradley entering the 2021 season, by far the most under any coach in program history.
 
Follow @USFMGolf on Twitter for the latest information concerning the program.