Full Breakdown
Auburn Tigers Secure Third Place at NCAA Athens Regional, Advance to National Championship
5/21/2026, 12:09:01 AM
Event Overview
On May 28, 2024, the No. 1-seeded Auburn Tigers men’s golf team finished third at the NCAA Athens Regional in Georgia with a total of 22-under-par, securing a spot in the national championship. The team posted –7 on Day 1, another –7 on Day 2 (–14 total), and a –8 surge on Day 3 to reach –22.
Key Players
Junior Josiah Gilbert led Auburn with a tournament-best –11, finishing fourth individually. Senior Jackson Koivun, playing through illness, contributed –6. Freshman SEC Freshman of the Year Jake Albert finished +2, while Logan Reilly and Cayden Pope posted even-par rounds, anchoring the middle of the lineup.
Scores and Standings
Vanderbilt led the regional at –28, Louisville at –26, Auburn at –22, BYU at –20 and Georgia at –19. The five advancing teams—Vanderbilt, Louisville, Auburn, BYU, and Georgia—filled the regional’s championship slots. Auburn’s –22 placed it third overall and earned one of the five team berths for the 30-team NCAA Championship.
Official Statements
Coach Nick Clinard said the squad “got off to a sluggish start” and needed to improve green speed and putting, but praised the back-nine resilience. Gilbert urged the team to “just get off to a better start” and emphasized playing well in San Diego. Clinard highlighted the team’s resilience in 90-degree heat and praised their mental toughness. Clinard also noted that the team’s focus on short-game drills helped recover the lost strokes on the back nine.
Performance Criticism
Clinard highlighted missed putts inside ten feet on the final three holes and called the front-nine pin placements “tough” with elevation changes, noting the need for sharper starts. Koivun’s illness and Albert’s early +3 round also exposed depth concerns. The difficulty of the bent-grass greens, especially on holes 1-4, was cited as a factor that slowed the front-nine pace.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The sources detail day-1 and day-2 scores but omit a play-by-play of the decisive day-3 round, leaving a gap in how Auburn generated the final –8 swing to reach –22. No external commentary from rival teams is provided. Future coverage should include player interviews from day 3 to illuminate the strategic adjustments that produced the final surge.
Verbatim Quotes
"Just can't make any putts," — Nick Clinard, Head Coach, Auburn Tigers
"Oh man he played great," — Nick Clinard, Head Coach, Auburn Tigers
"We've just got to play good," — Josiah Gilbert, Player, Auburn Tigers
"We just have to get off to a better start as a team, though," — Nick Clinard, Head Coach, Auburn Tigers
What’s Next
Carlsbad, California, will host the NCAA Championship beginning May 29. Four days of stroke-play will determine the top eight teams, which will then compete in a match-play bracket.
