Patriot All-America Invite: Ian Gilligan's hole out eagle propels him to the win

December 31, 2023 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com

Ian Gilligan (Patriot Invitational Photo)

Gilligan finished 12-under for the tournament to win by three shots

Ian Gilligan, a junior at Florida, used rounds of 65-65-68 to shoot 12-under and win the Patriot All-America Invitational at The Wigwam, Gold Course, in Litchfield Park, Ariz., by three shots.

A hole-out eagle on No. 13 punctuated his final round 2-under 68, giving him the lead comfortable lead over Notre Dame's Palmer Jackson. Jackson finished in solo second place at 9-under after rounds of 67-65-69.

The transfer from Long Beach State was tied for the lead after a first-round 5-under 65 with Matthew Comegys from Texas Tech and Jerry Ji from Illinois, but another 5-under 65 in the second round gave him the solo lead by two shots over Jackson. The final round, 2-under 68, closed the door on the competition.

Jackson Buchanan of Illinois, Matthew Kress of Georgia, Gregory Solhaug of Oregon, and Ben Lorenz of Oklahoma all finished T3 at 7-under.

Gilligan has had an incredible journey back to golf after being diagnosed with lymphoma over five years ago, a slow-moving cancer that was treatable with chemotherapy.

Now, he is the 2023 champion of the Patriot All-America Invitational as he heads back to Gainesville for the Spring season.

In partnership with the Folds of Honor Foundation, the Wigwam and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) present the Patriot All-America Invitational. It's one of the most unique events in all of golf.

84 top collegiate players named to the PING All-America team in NCAA Division I, II, and III, NAIA and NJCAA, AJGA, one player from each military academy, and select international players to compete in a 54-hole championship.

Each player honors our military by carrying a bag with the name, rank, and service of a fallen or severely wounded soldier embroidered on the pocket. Following the championship, the bags go to the players’ school for auction, with proceeds benefiting the Folds of Honor.

Results: Patriot All-America

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Ian Gilligan	Reno, NV	800	65-65-68=198
2	Palmer Jackson	Murrysville, PA	500	67-65-69=201
T3	Jackson Buchanan	Dacula, GA	400	69-69-65=203
T3	Matthew Kress	Saratoga, CA	400	68-69-66=203
T3	Gregory Solhaug	, Norway	400	72-65-66=203

View full results for Patriot All-America

About the Patriot All-America

Patriot All-America Invite: Ian Gilligan's hole out eagle propels him to the win

The Wigwam and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), in partnership with the Folds of Honor Foundation present the Patriot All- America Invitational. It's one of the most unique events in all of golf. 84 top collegiate players named to the ...