Golf is a long game. It lasts two- to three-straight days — sometimes four — and it’s a daylong affair.

But like any sport, the game can change in a matter of minutes.

The Illinois men’s golf team had one of these late-game turning points in its NCAA Regionals win on Wednesday in Kohler, Wisconsin. The team overtook Florida in the last two holes to punch its ticket to the NCAA Championship. It’s their ninth-consecutive Championship appearance and fourth-straight winning the Regionals.

“Four-consecutive regional wins says a lot,” head coach Mike Small said. “That is consistency over time, and it’s very hard to do.”

Florida was leading after both the first and second rounds behind scores of 283 and 282, respectively. It was looking good for a Gators win. But then they teed off on 17 in the last round at the 7,404-yard, par-72 Blackwolf Run Meadow Golf Course.

Alejandro Tosti made bogey, and Jorge Garcia had a double bogey. On 18, Sam Horsfield added a bogey, and Gordon Neale scored the team’s only triple bogey in the tournament.

Florida had lost seven strokes in two holes; Illinois held still.

“We just didn’t have it today,” Florida coach JC Deacon told floridagators.com. “We gave ourselves a chance to win in the last three holes, but just couldn’t hang in there to get it done.”

The Illini, who were fresh off a rally at the Big Ten Tournament, entered No. 17 at 12 under. Edoardo Lipparelli’s birdie negated Dylan Meyer’s bogey. Nick Hardy, on 18, made a bogey, and the remainder of the team pared the hole to pull into the lead.

“The back nine was the story of the day,” Small said. “We were treading water after nine holes, but then the back nine was just solid. Florida played better than us this week, but we finished stronger.”

Charlie Danielson and Thomas Detry shot a 4-under 212 to tie for third. It is the third time the Danielson and Detry tied in the standings this season.

“They’re the season right now,” Small said. “But the rest of the team piggybacked and played solid.”

Sophomores Hardy and Meyer tied for 12th and 21st, respectively.  Lipparelli carded a 6 over and rounded out the Illini by tying for 48th.

Illinois opened the tournament with a total of 17 birdies, 18 bogeys and two double bogeys in the first round. Small’s team shot a 1 over overall and was six strokes behind leaders Florida and Idaho. Meyer led the team, as he posted a first-round 2 under.

The team had four birdies and one bogey to start the second round, as the Illini started their rally. Detry (three) and Lipparelli (five) had a combined eight birdies on the front nine.

Detry and Danielson jumped into the lead to tie for fourth overall after shooting a 3 under in the round and 2 under overall. Meyer, who had one of the team’s two double bogeys in the second round, slipped down into 18th.

Illinois moved into second, and Florida still led.

Danielson and Meyer birdied the par-4, 1st and bogeyed five on the final round. Lipparelli birdied two and four, but he made the team’s lone triple bogey on nine.

After the turn, Detry and Danielson had one and two birdies, respectively, with the rest pars.

This rest, for the Detry- and Danielson-led team, is history.

The NCAA Championships will be May 27-June 1 in Eugene, Oregon, at the Eugene Country Club.

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