Less than seven years ago, Ian Gilligan was in a hospital bed undergoing chemotherapy for a rare case of lymphoma. Now, the University of Florida senior is on the verge of a promising professional golf career.
“Golf has always been my passion,” Gilligan said. “I’ve always dreamed of playing on the PGA Tour and competing against the best players in the world.”
The 21-year-old is in a good spot inside the top 10 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking and PGA Tour University. He’s the reigning Western Amateur champion. Gilligan takes golf very seriously, but his love of the game sets him apart. Golf isn’t life and death, as was the case before Gilligan overcame cancer.
Born in San Francisco, Gilligan started playing the game at just 2 years old.
“My parents had a bucket of balls in the closet when I was little, and I loved messing around with the golf balls with a wooden spoon,” Gilligan said.
After he upgraded from the wooden spoon to a Snoopy club, Gilligan’s parents took him to the range. He didn’t want to leave.
“My parents had to pretty much drag me off the golf course at the age of 2,” Gilligan said. “I’d be crying when my dad took me off the range.”
In 2018, at 15 years old, Gilligan was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma at the end of his high school freshman year in Reno, Nevada. Starting that summer, Gilligan began six rounds of chemotherapy, which lasted about seven months.
Soon, Gilligan started playing in junior tournaments in northern California. He says his first victory was in a nine-hole event when he was 8 years old.
“I shot like 3 under and that was obviously a big deal for me because it was the first time I’d won,” Gilligan said.
In 2018, at 15 years old, Gilligan was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma at the end of his high school freshman year in Reno, Nevada. Starting that summer, Gilligan began six rounds of chemotherapy, which lasted about seven months. Gilligan said he was really skinny and his energy was low, but he was happy to learn he could still play a little golf.
“It was really fun to be out playing with friends,” Gilligan said. “That massively grew my appreciation for golf. It made me feel like I was a normal student.”
In December 2018, Gilligan was cancer free. It was once again time to pursue his dream of becoming a professional golfer.
Making his return to competitive play in March 2019, Gilligan won his first event in June, a one-day junior qualifier for the Korn Ferry Tour Ellie Mae Classic. That July, Gilligan played in his first professional event at 16 years old.
“That was a really cool feeling after all I went through,” Gilligan said.
Gilligan started college in 2021 at Long Beach State University. At the time, his WAGR was over 4,000. Despite three top-10 finishes, Gilligan says his game wasn’t in the place he wanted it to be.
Gilligan got back to work. He’d spend hours a day practicing: one hour putting, one hour chipping and two hours hitting balls. His hard work gave way to an improved sophomore year, which included the Big West individual title.
“When you start seeing results it’s motivating and you want to keep working at it,” Gilligan said.
For his junior year, Gilligan transferred to the University of Florida. By this time, his WAGR was in the top 90.
J.C. Deacon, who is now in his 11th season as head coach of the Gators, says Gilligan and Florida were a perfect fit from the beginning.
“He really loves the game of golf and plays with a childlike passion for it,” Deacon said. “He works at it really hard and is obviously super talented. That’s a scary combination.”
In 2024, Gilligan had two victories, the Southern Highlands Collegiate and the Western Amateur. He kicked off 2025 with a win at the Australian Master of the Amateurs.
Gilligan also played in two PGA Tour events last year: the Barracuda Championship and the Shriners Children’s Open. He didn’t look out of place, making the cut in both events and finishing top 20 at the Shriners.
To his coach, these results aren’t surprising.
“It’s a preview of what his pro career is going to look like,” Deacon said. “He’s got a chance to make a lot of money and hoist some serious trophies in his career.”
Gilligan isn’t surprised either. He believes he’s ready to take the next step in pursuing his dream.
“I feel like I’m going to be ready and good enough for when I turn pro this summer,” Gilligan said. “My good golf is good enough to play out there.”
E-MAIL EVERETT
Top: By the time Gilligan transferred to the University of Florida, his WAGR was in the top 90.
MIKE EHRMANN, COURTESY USGA