Auburn University’s men’s golf team finished second at the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas, ending just one stroke behind top-ranked Virginia. The Tigers posted a 14-under-par score, while Virginia secured first place with 15-under-par.
“We certainly played well this week and showed some improvements in areas that needed growth,” said Auburn head coach Nick Clinard. “However, we are not satisfied with second place. We worked hard all week to put ourselves in a place to contend for a win today, but when it came down to it, we could not execute for all 18 holes, and we let it slip away. But the good news is, we’ve got another chance to compete and win in less than a week, so that’s where we shift our focus starting now.”
Auburn finished ten shots ahead of third-place Illinois and achieved victories over six other top-25 teams, including Florida and Texas. The team’s record against ranked opponents improved to 30-15-1 this season.
Jackson Koivun led Auburn with rounds of 67, 74, and 68 to finish third overall at 7-under-par. Jake Albert followed closely with scores of 69, 71, and 70 for a fourth-place finish at 6-under-par. Albert also stood out as the only freshman among the top 17 players.
Logan Reilly was another notable performer for Auburn. After an opening round of 78, he recovered with a bogey-free round of 67 and finished tied for 18th at one-over-par. Junior Josiah Gilbert ended the tournament at two-over-par, while junior Cayden Pope finished at thirteen-over.
Auburn’s next event will be The Hayt at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The competition runs from March 7 through March 9.
