2nd win for Tigers in three years
Chalk up another national championship for Auburn and coach Nick Clinard. For the second time in three years, the Auburn Tigers will add the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship trophy to their growing trophy case.
The top-ranked Tigers never trailed In Wednesday’s final, pulling away on the back nine of the Omni LaCosta North Course to defeat No. 23 UCLA 4-1.
“I just challenged them last night to enjoy the walk and told them that you might not ever be back here again in a team sport,” Clinard told Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine as the championship celebration continued on the 18th green.
“Winning is hard,” he added. “We’re going to enjoy this.”
Going out in the first match, Auburn freshman Logan Reilly won the first hole and never trailed against UCLA’s Alex Papayoanou, clinching the match for Auburn with a par on No. 18.
Two years after earning the program’s first national title by beating Florida State for the 2024 NCAA Championship at the same venue, Auburn set the tone early when SEC freshman of the year Jake Albert won his first two holes against UCLA’s Tyler Loree in match No. 2.
Albert never trailed, winning back-to-back holes on 9 and 10 to turn a one-up lead into a three-up runaway, a lead he further extended on the back nine before earning Auburn’s first point with a 5 & 3 win.
In the third match, two-time Hogan and Haskins award winner Jackson Koivun, the world’s No. 1 amateur, fell behind on hole No.2 but squared the match two holes later with a birdie on No. 4, taking the lead for good with another birdie on the par-5 sixth hole.
Similar to Albert’s match, Koivun pulled away from UCLA’s Baylor Larrabee by winning consecutive holes 9 and 10 to take a commanding 3-up lead. Koivun, who hasn’t said whether he will return to Auburn for a senior season or turn pro and head to the PGA Tour, clinched his match and Auburn’s second point with a birdie putt on 15 to win 4&3, pumping his first after capping one of the most remarkable seasons in NCAA golf history.
Auburn junior Cayden Pope never trailed in his match against UCLA’s Kyle An, with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7-8 after the Bruins’ player had pulled even with an eagle at No. 6.
Playing on a course less than a two-hour drive from their campus, UCLA made a late push, winning back nine holes in quick succession in matches 3, 4 and 5.
Just as quickly, Auburn regained momentum when Pope hit his approach shot on No. 11 to within a foot of the hole to reclaim a 2-up lead over An. The junior from Lexington, Kentucky, had more magic to come, winning three straight holes, culminating the hot streak with a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 13 to win 4-up.
UCLA’s Josh Kim claimed UCLA’s only point, knocking off Josiah Gilbert 3&2 by winning four consecutive holes on the back nine.
After finishing first in the stroke play portion of the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history, Auburn advanced to the championship match by beating No. 15 Stanford 3-1-1 in the quarterfinals and cruising past defending national champion No. 5 Oklahoma State 5-0 in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Auburntigers.com contributed to this story.
Fatured image: Auburn Athletics
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