Jacksonville Native: Finding His Form on the Fairway

By: Michael Alaimo  

April 3, 2026  

St. Augustine, Fla. – With every swing of the golf club and every game, Matthew French has improved his game. French’s development hasn’t been a flash; it’s been gradual. Each season, he’s improving, and the stats show the same story. There are still some areas of the game French is working on compared to other areas where he feels confident and feels are his strong points.  

“My putting and short game have always been my strength, so when I'm not hitting it the best, I can always lean on that,” he said.  

As a freshman in 2023-2024, He only appeared in three rounds and averaged 79.00. With not that much time on the course. The jump from high school golf to college golf was a big adjustment for him to get used to.   

“I would say the play level and the competitiveness within the team are way more,” French said. Talking about the difference between high school and college golf.  

Sophomore year, he took a big step forward, playing more rounds on the course with 19 played and averaging 75.74, with a Par of + four. This showed signs of great improvement and showed consistency in tournament play.   

So far in his junior season through the fifth-tenth rounds, he’s averaging 73.73 with a Par + two. It’s his strongest season to date with two top 20 finishes. French finished sixteenth in the Men’s Greenwood Invitational and tied for third in the Shark Invitational.   

“I hit better shots than I did freshman year,” French said.   

Flagler will still host the Peach Belt Conference Championship tournament on April 19th – 21st and the Regional on May 7th – 9th in Valdosta, GA. An opportunity for the French to improve their numbers further.  

His stats showed a clear story that he improved in each category in his golf game. From averaging 79.00 to 73.73 and Par + seven to Par + two.