Afterburners kicked in on final back nine
ATHENS, Ga. – It wasn’t the easy stroll many had anticipated, but the top-ranked Auburn men’s golf team is headed back to the NCAA national championship tournament for the fifth consecutive year.
After making the turn below the cut line, No. 1 Auburn played the back nine at the University of Georgia Golf Course at 9-under-par to finish in third at the Athens Regional to earn another chance at a national title.
Auburn made 12 birdies on the final nine to play their way into the national title field.
“What a long week,” head coach Nick Clinard said in the aftermath. “The front nine was a disaster every day, just call it what it is, but on the back nine, we played some real good golf. They made some birdies when it mattered, and they got the job done.”
It’s Auburn’s 13th trip to the final stage of collegiate golf in 16 attempts under Clinard. The 2026 NCAA Championship is set for May 29-June 3 at the Omni LaCosta Champions Course in Carlsbad, California.
Auburn’s women’s team also will play for a national title after advancing through the regionals last week.
No. 13 Vanderbilt, coached by Sylacauga native Scott Limbaugh, won the Athens Regional at 28-under. Louisville was second at 26-under with the Tigers finishing at 22-under. No. 24 BYU (-20) and Georgia (-19) also qualified for the national tournament.
Auburn junior Josiah Gilbert led the Tiger with a top-five finish at 11-under. He shot 69 in the final round.
“That was not fun,” Gilbert said. “We’ve been blessed that we haven’t had to stress much on the golf course so far this year, but in the long run, I think it’s good for us. We showed a lot of grit and a lot of fight, and to pull that off down the stretch was pretty nice.”
Junior Jackson Koivun put together his best round Wednesday, shooting 4-under 67.
“I just didn’t have my best stuff this week, but we’re happy to squeak on in there and get to nationals. At the end of the day, that’s the goal,” Koivun said. “Having a ticket booked to LaCosta feels real good.”
Freshman Jake Albert shot 69 in the final round. Freshman Logan Reilly finished with a 71 for the third consecutive day. Cayden Pope shot 72.
Auburntigers.com contributed to this story
Inages, including featured inmage of Jisiah Gilbert, courtesy of Auburn Athletics
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