We recently decided to take a three-hour trek across the state to experience the Sea Best Invitational, at TPC at Sawgrass (Dye’s Valley Course), in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, and more specifically, to watch Ricky Castillo (freshman at the University of Florida) play in a collegiate event. The Sea Best Invitational is a Division I Collegiate Golf Tournament that included the following teams: Texas A&M (12th)*, Florida (37th), Liberty (35th), North Carolina (13th), North Florida (31st), NC State, Lipscomb, Campbell (48th), UNLV, Jacksonville, USC Upstate, East Carolina, Arkansas (21st), McNeese State, with 84 individual participants. The format is a 54-hole Team/Individual Stroke-Play event, over two days (36-holes on Monday and 18-holes on Tuesday). The par-70 Dye’s Valley Course played 6,790 yards.
As a reminder, we were introduced to Ricky and his father Mark at the 2018 US Junior Amateur at Baltusrol (US Junior Amateur; Part Two), where he finished 9th, and again at the 2019 US Amateur at Pinehurst (Nature vs. Nurture vs. Culture), where he finished 9th. Ricky is currently the 5th ranked amateur in the world (see WAGR.com).
Since we last left off with Ricky in August of 2019, he has competed in four collegiate tournaments at The Farm Golf Club, Rocky Face, GA, Olympia Fields Country Club, Olympia Fields, IL, Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, North Plains, OR and Isleworth Golf & Country Club, Windermere, FL; finishing in the top-25 in each event (21st, 24th, 15th, 22nd) as well as participating in the prestigious Australian Masters of the Amateurs at Victoria Golf Club in Oceania, Australia, where he once again finished 9th out of a field of 78 participants.
We arrived at TPC at Sawgrass Monday morning for the first day of the event. Our shuttle bus driver dropped us off at the entrance to the iconic Clubhouse, where we were directed to the Dye’s Valley Course. Although there was play on the Stadium Course, the maintenance staff was busily preparing for The Players Championship scheduled in early March. Feeling like a kid in a candy store, we had full access to the grounds and the facilities at TPC at Sawgrass!
Note: The Grounds were absolutely immaculate, perfectly mowed, perfectly edged and the color of the grass was the greenest of greens. The perfectly straight flagsticks, adorned with bright yellow flags located on the practice putting surfaces and the driving range stood out prominently against the emerald green grass and royal blue sky.
So off we went to track down young Mr. Castillo. We walked the front-nine backwards, until we found him on the putting surface of the 8th hole. As with the Junior Amateur, there were no spectator ropes and, for that matter, very few spectators. Surprisingly, after putting out on the 8th hole, Ricky immediately walked in our direction, removed his hat, shook our hands, saying hello and thanking us for attending the event.
We followed Ricky and his group for the next 19 holes, along with a father of a North Carolina State player, an alumnus of the University of Florida, as well as occasional visits from the coaches from the University of Florida, Jacksonville University and North Carolina State whose players were in the threesome.
Note: I have been to numerous PGA and LPGA Tour events that included such amenities as purchased tickets, far off-site parking, $12- beers, massive crowds and limited access to the best players in the world. In stark contrast, this particular collegiate event boasts free access to TPC at Sawgrass, shuttle service from their on-site hotel, $6- beers, no crowds and complete access to some of the best amateur players in the world.
Ricky shot even par on his first round with two birdies and two bogeys. He was 5 under par after the first seven holes on his second round when he had a world-class bogey at the 505 yard Par 4, 8th hole, finishing the front at 4 under par.
Note: Ricky’s bogey on the 8th hole may have been the best bogey I have ever seen with the possible exception of Jordan Spieth’s bogey on the 13th hole at the 2017 British Open (Royal Birkdale).
Ricky’s back nine included two birdies, five pars, one bogey and one double bogey, finishing his second round at three under par, three under par for the tournament and three shots off of the lead after the first day of competition.
Attempting to make up a three shot differential entering the final day of play (18 holes) on the challenging Dye’s Valley Course was no simple task however Ricky got off to a fast start with four birdies on the front and one birdie on the back, carding a bogey free, five under par round for the day, eight under par for the tournament.
Ricky Castillo, a freshman at the University of Florida, captured his first career collegiate Division I golf title, the Sea Best Invitational, by three shots while the Florida Gators Men’s Golf Team secured a second place team finish! Ricky’s total score for the event was 202, with an average per round score of 67.33. The average per round score for the field was 72.72.
For a golf-geek like Bad Golf Guy, having a personal connection with one of the finest amateur players in the world is a very unique and exciting experience; more importantly, having a personal connection with a polite, reserved, respectful young man who conducts himself beautifully on and off the course is far more meaningful.
Feel free to follow the University of Florida Men’s Golf Team and Ricky Castillo through the Golfstat.com website, which provides live tournament updates as well as the 2019-20 Men’s Golf Schedule-Florida Gators website.
Remaining Schedule:
- Gator Invitational (2/15-16), Gainesville, FL
- Southern Highlands (3/1-3), Las Vegas, NV
- Tar Heels Collegiate (3/21-22), Chapel Hill, NC
- Calusa Cup (4/5-7), Naples, FL
- SEC Championship (4/22-26), St. Simons Island, GA
- NCAA Regional Championship (5/18-20), TBD
- NCAA National Championship (5/29-6/3), Scottsdale, AZ
If you are enjoying our weekly posts, we’d be eternally grateful if you’d spread the word. Thank you for following Bad Golf Guy and be sure to check us out on Instagram.
The back nine can only get better!
*National ranking at the time of the event. The University of Florida is now ranked 25th after their second place finish at the Sea Best Invitational.
Leave a Reply