NCAA Championship: Fred Biondi’s epic comeback earns national title
Fred Biondi had himself a day through the ultimate stroke-play spherical of the NCAA Males’s Championship at Grayhawk Golf Membership in Scottsdale, Ariz.. He shot a 3-under 67 to erase a five-shot deficit to say the person title.
His six birdies and a par on the 18th sealed the deal for the senior. He beat out Georgia Tech’s Ross Steelman to turn out to be the Gators’ first particular person title winner since 2001 when Nick Gilliam received and the third in class historical past, per a Florida Gator press launch. He’s the primary worldwide participant since Thomas Pieters to win the person trophy.
The Sau Paulo, Brazil, native went 2-under 35 on the entrance 9 and, after a bogey on 12, was three again of Steelman. Biondi birdied the 14th to get that stroke again and closed out his spherical with 4 pars.
Steelman held the lead all through the primary three days of stroke play, however Biondi took management on Day 4 and completed robust sufficient to take the win away from the Yellow Jacket. He completed T2 with Illinois’ Jackson Buchanan at 6-under.
This win gave him his fourth collegiate title and third of the season. Biondi additionally received the 2023 Arnold Palmer Champion Award.
Congrats to @FredBiondi on successful the Nationwide Championship Particular person Title! The child is admittedly good. Works actually exhausting on the sport and likes to study. Can’t occur to a greater particular person! So glad for him. third @GatorsGolf participant to win and particular person title.
— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) Might 30, 2023
He completed No. 2 on the PGA Tour College rankings this season behind Texas Tech’s Ludvig Aberg, giving him absolutely exempt Korn Ferry Tour standing for 2023 and a final-round exemption into the PGA Tour Q-Faculty. Nevertheless, he should make that call as a result of if he chooses to retain his newbie standing, he might be exempted into the 2024 Masters and 2023 U.S. Open.
Florida’s Fred Biondi, as we speak’s NCAA particular person champ who now has KFT card for subsequent 1.5 seasons, immediately should determine if he’ll flip professional or stay newbie to simply accept 2024 Masters invite.
“It is undoubtedly a troublesome alternative … that is one thing I will determine as soon as this week is finished.”
— Brentley Romine (@BrentleyGC) Might 30, 2023
Biondi now has a call to make — will he flip skilled or wait and play as an newbie in two of the 4 main championships?
The Gators completed T2 in stroke play and would be the No. 2 seed within the match play portion to determine who will win the group championship.
