Florida golf teams thriving together entering NCAA postseason play

GAINESVILLE — During a picturesque day at Mark Bostick Golf Course, Florida golfer Jack Turner dials in his distances as coach JC Deacon keeps track.

A gap wedge away, Paula Francisco hits pitch shots while coach Emily Glaser looks on.

Teammates are scattered about the practice area, fine-tuning their games and pushing one another.

Together, the two teams have produced five tournament wins apiece, risen into the top-3 in the national rankings and earned simultaneous No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017.

The Florida women’s team enters the Tallahassee Regional on Monday ranked No. 3. Next week, the men open NCAA play in Columbus, Ohio, ranked No. 2.

The top five finishers in each of six regionals advance to the NCAA Championships later this month.

“It’s awesome,” Francisco said. “Both of us have been ambitious and wanting to succeed, and achieve some great things. You see it in the work. No one is talking and just hanging out. Everyone is here at the course working for something.

“That’s pretty cool.”

Titles ultimately trump rankings.

Deacon and Glaser’s teams appear poised for postseason runs after both came close to SEC championships.

Francisco became Florida’s first individual champion since Maria Torres in 2016. But the Gators — SEC runner-ups in 2025 — fell during the semifinals of match play to Auburn.

The following week, the men’s bid to repeat as SEC champions ended with a loss to Ole Miss in the finals.

The success of Deacon’s program, highlighted by conference and national titles in 2023, has inspired Glaser and her players to raise their games.

“It’s been fun to watch them,” Glaser said. “I’m sure that makes our athletes motivated – they see what’s possible. We’re two separate programs, so we have to focus on our needs and what it requires to be an elite team. But I do think having success leads to future success, and that kind of permeates through the building.”

The offices of Glaser, now in her 14th season, and Deacon have sat a bump-and-run away from each other since he arrived in 2014.