Auburn men’s golf will compete in its final event of the regular season at The Ford Collegiate, taking place April 13-14 at the Ford Field and River Club in Richmond Hill, Georgia.
The tournament is significant as it serves as a final test before the Southeastern Conference Championships. Auburn head coach Nick Clinard said, “I love this golf course; it’s one of the best in the Southeast. Two different nines. The front is going to be more treelined, the back is more open and marshy with a links-type look to it. It’ll be a great preview for us to go out there and compete and get ready for SECs.”
Last spring, Auburn finished third at The Ford with a score of four-over par. Cayden Pope and Jackson Koivun tied for seventh place at one-under par to lead Auburn’s lineup, while Josiah Gilbert also competed. All three juniors return this week alongside freshmen Jake Albert and Logan Reilly. Sophomore Billy Davis will participate as an individual player.
The team enters the event after securing a 17-shot victory last week at the Mason Rudolph Championship, where each member of Auburn’s starting five finished inside the top eleven. Koivun led with his ninth career win.
To secure another win, Auburn must outperform a field that includes six top-25 programs such as No. 7 LSU and No. 4 Texas—both teams that surpassed Auburn in last year’s tournament—as well as No. 16 Oklahoma, No. 19 Georgia Tech, No. 23 Georgia, Notre Dame (receiving votes), Army, Augusta University, Georgia Southern, South Carolina and Wake Forest.
On Monday’s opening day featuring two rounds (36 holes), Auburn will play alongside Texas and Wake Forest beginning at 7:30 a.m Central Time with Reilly teeing off first.
