Florida's Matthew Kress Stuns Field to Rise to No 1 Ranking

Once an overlooked walk-on, Matthew Kress now leads Floridas deep and determined squad into a high-stakes showdown at the Gators Invitational.

From Underdog to Leader: Matthew Kress Embraces the Spotlight for Florida Golf

When Matthew Kress first arrived in Gainesville, he wasn’t the kind of recruit that turned heads. No blue-chip label.

No junior golf accolades piling up. Just a quiet kid with a solid swing and a desire to prove he belonged on a Florida team stacked with talent.

Fast forward to today, and Kress isn’t just part of the team - he’s leading it.

This weekend, as the Gators chase a seventh straight Gators Invitational title, it’ll be Kress who tees off in the No. 1 spot. It’s a role he never envisioned when he joined the program back in 2021, but one he’s earned every step of the way.

“If you would have asked me what my goals were when I first started here, it’d be to make sure I had a spot on the team the next year,” Kress said. “But that’s changed quite a lot. I’m making stuff up on the fly, which is how life goes sometimes.”

A Relentless Climb

Kress’s journey has been defined by persistence. After redshirting in 2021-22, he cracked the lineup ahead of the 2023 Gators Invitational - a turning point not just for him, but for the entire program. That win kicked off a historic stretch for Florida golf, culminating in SEC and NCAA titles, a double not seen in Gainesville since 2001.

And Kress wasn’t just along for the ride. He delivered when it mattered most, going 5-1 in match play across Florida’s 2023 and 2025 SEC championship runs. He’s not the flashiest player on the course - in fact, he’s about as even-keeled as they come - but his ability to stay locked in under pressure has made him a cornerstone of this team.

“There’s not a lot that will get me over the moon, but there’s also not a lot that’s going to drag me to the dumps,” Kress said. “I try to stay pretty even-keeled.”

That calm demeanor was on full display at the Sea Best Invitational earlier this month. With the wind whipping and the leaderboard tightening, Kress closed with four birdies in his final five holes to shoot a bogey-free 66. Florida edged UNC Wilmington by a single stroke.

He didn’t even realize how clutch his round was.

“I wasn’t exactly aware of what the situation was coming down the stretch,” he said. “My coaches knew. They didn’t fill me in, which probably helped.”

Stacked Field, Familiar Fairways

There won’t be any flying under the radar this weekend at Mark Bostick Golf Course. The Gators Invitational is drawing its strongest field in years, headlined by No.

5 Auburn, No. 11 Oklahoma State - last year’s national champions - No.

20 Charlotte, and No. 22 Notre Dame.

“Our guys have definitely taken notice,” head coach JC Deacon said. “We’re going to have to play our best to win this tournament.

They want to compete against the best teams and players. It’s a great opportunity to do it on our home course, in front of our home fans.”

Kress will go head-to-head with Auburn’s Jackson Koivun, the world’s No. 1 amateur, and Oklahoma State’s Ethan Fang, ranked No. 6. It’s a heavyweight trio at the top of the leaderboard before a single shot is hit.

“He’s the real deal,” Kress said of Koivun, a fellow Northern California native. “It’s always interesting to see how other people’s games stack up on your home course that you play every day.

I have my own strategy. I’ve played thousands of rounds out here.”

And that local knowledge could be a difference-maker. Kress, currently ranked No. 53 in the country, leads a Florida lineup that’s deep, experienced, and battle-tested.

Depth and Firepower

Junior Jack Turner, ranked No. 15, slots in at No. 2, followed by sophomore Zack Swanwick at No. 57. Parker Sands will play at No. 4, while Iowa transfer Noah Kent makes his long-awaited debut at No. 5 after redshirting last spring and fall.

Even without No. 20 Luke Poulter, sidelined by back tightness, the Gators have plenty of firepower.

Senior Parker Bell - who drained the winning putt at last fall’s East Lake Cup - will compete as an individual, along with sophomore Joshua Bai and freshman Trevor Gutschewski. Gutschewski, by the way, tied for 12th at Sea Best and fired a 65 during qualifying at Mark Bostick.

Not bad for your first spring in the lineup conversation.

Deacon has options, and the internal competition is fierce. That’s the kind of environment that forged Kress into the player he is today - a grinder who went from the bottom of the depth chart to the top of the lineup.

“He’s poured his heart and soul into this program, and to play No. 1 is an incredible honor,” Deacon said. “He worked his way up from being 13th out of 13 when he arrived to No. 1 out of 10 in his fifth year.

I’m so proud to have him in that spot. I’m going to enjoy watching him this weekend.”

From Question Marks to Exclamation Points

For Kress, this weekend is about more than just a number next to his name. It’s a full-circle moment - the culmination of years of unseen work, quiet belief, and steady growth.

He once wondered if he even belonged. Now, he’s leading a top-tier program into one of its toughest tests of the season.

And if his past is any indication, he won’t flinch when the pressure hits.

Fairways and greens. That’s the plan.

Everything else? He’s earned it.