The Navy men's golf team kicks off the spring season on Friday when it plays in the 16-team Gators Invitational. Hosted by the University of Florida, the two-day, 54-hole tournament will be held at Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla. with a modified shotgun start at 7:30 am on Friday. The teams are slated to play 36 holes on Friday, followed by the final 18 holes on Saturday. Due to impending weather conditions, the tournament was moved up a day from its original scheduled start.
| Tournament Details |
| Event |
Gators Invitational, hosted by Florida |
| When |
Friday-Saturday, Feb. 16-17 |
| Location |
Mark Bostick Golf Course, Gainesville, Fla. | Par 70, 6,701 yards |
| Format |
36 holes on Friday, 7:50 am modified shotgun start | 18 holes on Saturday, 7:30 am modified shotgun start |
| The Field | 16 Teams |
Augusta State, Florida (A/B Teams), Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Furman, Jacksonville, Kentucky, Liberty, Navy, Nebraska, Penn State, UCF, North Florida, South Florida, West Virginia |
| Live Results |
Golfstat.com |
Tournament History
• The 2024 edition of the Gators Invitational marks the 47th year of the tournament
• Florida has won the event 29 of the 47 years, including each of the last 4
More on the Mids
• This will be Navy's fifth tournament appearance of the academic year and first of the spring season -
Folds of Honor Collegiate (Sept. 4-6 / at the American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Mich. / 17th, +84 (311-320-305=936)
Georgetown Intercollegiate (Oct. 15-16 / at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md. / 13th, +65 (306-306-317=929)
ODU/OBX Intercollegiate (Oct. 22-24 / Kilmarlic Golf Club in Powell's Point, N.C. / 14th, +81 (310-317-306=933)
Veterans Intercollegiate (Oct. 30-31 / Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. / 12th, +39 (302-313=615)
• Navy's top place winner at the Folds of Honor Collegiate was
Jack Tarzy, who tied for 33rd (75-73-72=220), followed by
Benjamin Valdez in 65th (76-80-74=230),
Danny Auffant in 76th (82-82-74=238) and
Noah Nuez in 86th (78-85-85=248)
•
Jack Tarzy repeated as the Mids' top finisher (17th / 72-73-78=223) at the Georgetown Intercollegiate where he put together his third-career top-20 finish among just 8-career appearances ...
Benjamin Valdez placed 40th (76-78-78=232),
Luke Lombardo was 59th (77-77-84=238),
Noah Nuez tied for 60th (81-78-80=239) and
Owen Huntington placed 69th (82-79-81=242)
•
Jack Tarzy made it three in a row in leading the Mids, pacing the teams at the ODU/OBX Intercollegiate with a 25th-place mark of 9-over 222 (75-74-73) ...
Benjamin Valdez took 62nd (78-80-79=237),
Luke Lombardo tied for 66th (80-79-79=238),
Danny Auffant was 68th (77-84-78=239) and
Jack Teuschl finished 74th (94-84-76=254)
• Navy closed out the fall campaign with a Halloween tournament in Southampton, N.Y. ... captain
Benjamin Valdez paved the way for the Mids at the Veterans Intercollegiate with an 11th-place finish thanks to a 6-over par 150 (77-73) ...
Jack Tarzy earned a top-20 finish with a 9-over par 153 (71-82), followed by
Danny Auffant in 33rd (77-80=157),
Luke Lombardo in 33rd (77-80=157) and
Jack Teuschl in 50th (83-80=163)
• The annual Army-Navy Star Match was held at the Naval Academy Golf Course Oct. 5-6. Despite a 4-0 advantage after the fourball matches, Navy fell in a playoff to its arch rival.
• Team captain
Benjamin Valdez won both his singles and doubles match (with
Noah Nuez), while
Luke Lombardo paired up with fellow freshman
Danny Auffant to win the doubles point and tied Lake Kim in singles.
•
Benjamin Valdez went on to represent Navy at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup Oct. 9-10 at the Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, Texas. He was one of seven golfers who received a special invitation to play in the tournament, along with counterparts from Service Academies Army and Air Force and HBCU's Howard and Prairie View A&M. Valdez finished 38th in the standings with a 5-over par 221 (77-69-65).
### Go Navy ###
