Virginia Men's Golf Defeats Florida to Advance to the National Championship 

Maxi Puregger, who substituted for Deven Patel on the last day of stroke play, stepped up big for the Hoos in his match. The freshman from Madrid, Spain, dominated his matchup, going up one on the sixth hole and extending his advantage to four to earn a four-and-three victory. Puregger finished the day with two birdies and zero bogeys as he cruised to his first collegiate match play win. 

Josh Duangmanee battled from behind in the second spot for much of the first nine against Florida's Jack Turner. On the eighth hole, Duangmanee earned a crucial birdie on a par three to tie the match before birdying the par four ten to take the lead. 

For a recap of Virginia's quarterfinal win over Auburn: Virginia Men's Golf Downs No. 2 Auburn to Advance to the Final Four

On the next hole, Duangmanee bogeyed, allowing for Turner to tie the match. The two tied the next five holes before Turner bogeyed on 17, allowing Duangmanee to regain the lead with a par. On 18, the Virginia native finished the job, winning the final hole to give him a two-up victory, giving Virginia a 2-0 lead. 

In the third matchup, Ben James sealed the deal. The junior from Connecticut took the lead in his matchup on the second hole. Then, just before the turn, Luke Poulter, son of LIV golfer Ian Poulter, fired back to tie the match before taking the lead on the 14th hole. 

In need of an answer, James responded immediately, winning the 15th hole with a birdie before delivering a clutch birdie on the 18th hole to seal the victory for the Cavaliers. With the win for James, the final two matches concluded instantly as the Hoos earned a 4-1 victory over the 2023 National Champion Florida Gators. 

The win moves Virginia to 5-0 in match play in 2025, with the Cavaliers going 3-0 in the ACC and 2-0 now at the NCAA Tournament at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. 

The match wins for James and Paul Chang moved them both to 2-0 in match play at the NCAA Tournament this year. 

At one point on the back nine, three matches were tied, with Florida leading one match and Virginia leading the other, showing how tense this match was until the end.

The Cavaliers are seeking their first-ever National Championship in men's golf, and it would be their 36th NCAA team national championship if the Hoos can finish the job on Wednesday. This is men's golf's first appearance in a final.

The Hoos will face the Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma State winner on Wednesday, May 28th.

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