Gators’ Biondi goes pro
Senior forgoes Masters invite as NCAA individual champion
Florida Gators champion golfer Fred Biondi will begin his professional journey while willing to sacrifice berths in next week's U.S. Open and the 2024 Masters.
An invitation to the two biggest golf tournaments on American soil is among the benefits of winning the NCAA individual title. On Memorial Day in Scottsdale, Ariz., Biondi became just the third UF player to win the men's individual title, joining Bob Murphy (1966) and Nick Gilliam (2001).
A confidence boost was another byproduct of Biondi's win. During the next two days, the Gators' No. 1 player also helped them to the school's first team title since 2001.
The performance inspired the Florida senior to turn professional rather than retain his amateur status through next April's Masters. The 22-year-old from Brazil will debut at this week's BMW Charity Pro-Am Spartanburg, S.C., on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Biondi's collegiate success earned him a second-place finish in PGA Tour University and full KFT status for the season's remainder, including 14 tournaments.
He traveled a long road to reach this point.
Biondi appeared in the lineup sparingly in 2020-21, but evolved into UF's most dependable performer. Prior to the postseason he posted a team-best 17 top-10 finishes, including two wins, the past two seasons.
“Two years ago I would have never believed this,” he said.
Biondi's national title was improbable when the day began. He sat 5 shots behind Georgia Tech's Ross Steelman, who held a 4-stroke overall lead.
Biondi had to overcome a double-bogey 6 on the 7th hole, but ended with 6 birdies and 3-under 67. He finished 7-under par 273 total unforgiving Grayhawk Golf Course to become the first South American to win the men's individual NCAA title.
After the Gators returned to Gainesville last week, Biondi recalled how he felt lost on the golf course just three months earlier. During the Southern Highlands in late February in Las Vegas, he carded scores of 75-80-78, the final two his highest of the season for a 17-over par total.
A year earlier he tied for second place at 11-under in the prestigious event.
“I remember working really hard for it and showing up and literally having nothing,” he said. “Pretty much tearing on ninth fairway in the final round — not even from being mad or anything. Golf will humble you a lot. I thought that I could learn from it and take that tournament as a negative or help me get better.
“I made a turn in direction then.”
It wasn't the first turnaround during Biondi's time at UF.
During the Isleworth Collegiate in October 2021, Biondi had finally cracked the starting lineup but did not handle his newfound success, carding scores of 73 and 77 the first two rounds.
Coach JC Deacon recalled being fed up with Biondi's shaky play.
“He always showed signs of brilliance … so it was always inside of him,” Deacon said. “But Fred just didn't trust himself like he needed to. Finally I had had enough Isleworth and I told Fred, ‘I'm never putting you in the lineup again if you can't go out there and play without trusting yourself.'”
Biondi responded with a final-round 67, the Gators only score in the 60s all week.
“That day I was thinking of getting an office job,” Biondi joked. “JC was always pretty hard on me, but he's like family to me now. He was always pretty hard but not because he didn't like me, but he wanted me to get better and saw something in me.
“That motivated me to do better things.”
Biondi hopes the best is yet to come.