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The defending National Champion Auburn Tigers officially put the college golf world on notice after the Regional Round of the NCAA Tournament this week. Hosting the Auburn Regional as the No. 1 overall seed, the Tigers trounced the field all week, ending the three-day event 32 strokes under par, 27 strokes ahead of second place Texas A&M.
Four of the five Auburn golfers in the Regional finished within the top five on the individual leaderboard, with SEC Golfer of the Year Jackson Koivun taking home the individual crown with a 12 under par showing. UCLA’s Omar Morales and Kennesaw State’s Claes Borregaard finished in a tie for second in front of three Tigers.
Redshirt senior Carson Bacha (-7), sophomore Josiah Gilbert (-5), and senior Branden Valdes (-5) finished in third, fifth, and fifth, respectively. Gilbert’s final day impact was perhaps the most important for an Auburn team looking to maintain a large lead, as the senior holed in a round-best seven birdies to finish 6-under par on the day.
The Tigers (-32) and the second place Aggies (-5) were the only squads to finish the regional round under par, while UCLA (+6), Purdue (+9), and Georgia Tech (+10) were able to do just enough to keep their championship hopes alive. No. 24 ranked SMU, who came into the Regional Round hoping to make a deep run into spring, missed the cut at 15 strokes over par.
Next up for the Jackson Koivun and company will be the final rounds of the NCAA Championship, which will once again be held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.
The festivities begin with a three days of stroke play from May 23-May 25. The top 15 teams from the 30 entering the final round will continue play into Monday, where the top eight will enter Tuesday’s Quarterfinal Round. Omni La Costa Resort & Spa will crown a champion on Wednesday, May 28.
Florida State, who Auburn defeated to claim the 2024 Championship, finished its regional with the second best scorecard, at 29 strokes under par. SEC rival Florida, who Auburn would love to get some revenge on after the men’s basketball tournament, finished its regional with an equally impressive 28 strokes under par showing.
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