Maguire, from St. Petersburg, won the prestigious Southern Am against an international field containing many of the world’s top- ranked amateurs. Since 2004, the Bay Hill tournament has been supporting amateur golf by awarding the annual Southern Am champ a sponsor's exemption into the event the following spring.

Several past winners of the venerable Southern Am have made the cut when playing as an amateur on that Palmer exemption, including Webb Simpson and Kyle Stanley, who went on to win PGA Tour events after turning pro.

Maguire, an Atlantic Sun first team, all- conference selection, has helped raise North Florida’s golf team to a higher status in collegiate golf. In addition to his victory in the Southern Am, Maguire also won the Ka’anapali Collegiate Invitational last fall and placed second in the storied Azalea Invitational in Charleston, SC, earlier in the year.

He plans to defend his Southern Am title in July at Old Waverly Club in West Point, Miss.