Jackson Koivun led No. 1 Auburn to its third consecutive stroke play title at the SEC Championship on April 24, winning his own third straight individual conference crown at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Georgia.
Koivun’s achievement marks a rare feat in college golf, joining LSU’s B.R. McLendon as the only three-time medalists in Southeastern Conference history. His performance highlights both individual and team excellence for Auburn.
“It feels great any time you can come out here and win an SEC championship, it’s a huge honor,” Koivun said. “To be able to do it three times in a row, it’s good to put my name down in the history books.” The junior from Chapel Hill finished with a record-setting three-round total of 191, breaking Alabama golfer Bobby Wyatt’s previous mark from 2014. Koivun shot rounds of 64-64-63 and ended seven shots ahead of Oklahoma’s Jase Summy.
Auburn entered the final round with a five-shot lead and finished six strokes ahead of No. 4 Florida to secure its third consecutive team championship and top seed for match play quarterfinals on Saturday. “A good day for Auburn golf,” Head Coach Nick Clinard said. “The guys played great. JK played fabulous on the back side. Nothing surprises me with this kid.”
Freshman Jake Albert posted his best round with a 67 while juniors Cayden Pope and Josiah Gilbert along with freshman Logan Reilly each shot under par rounds, helping Auburn finish at a record-breaking 39-under-par for the tournament—one better than last year.
The Tigers will face No. 39 South Carolina in Saturday’s quarterfinals after South Carolina advanced through playoffs against Arkansas and Georgia for the eighth spot.
Clinard summed up his message to players: “Enjoy this… It’s the third year in a row we’ve won stroke play in the best conference in the country… We’ve got to reset tonight… Everybody’s wanting to beat Auburn right now.”
