Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Auburn Golf made it to its first NCAA finals match, and defeated FSU to finish their season-long goal with a national title.
The University of Auburn Golf team finally conquered the biggest test in collegiate competition — winning the national championship.
The No. 1 ranked Tigers edged Florida State 3-2 to win the NCAA tournament on the North Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.
It was the first time the Tigers had advanced past the semifinal match play, per the NCAA article. Head coach Nick Clinard struggled to express what this victory meant for his team.
“It doesn’t even feel real,” Clinard said. “We worked so hard for this, and I have some great young men. I am so happy for them.
“They have a shared vision that equals a greater purpose. They are so connected… Ten wins (on the season). I told them before we got here that if they won this golf tournament, they could go down as one of the best golf teams in the history of college golf.”
It came down to the final match to declare the winner between Auburn senior J.M Butler and FSU sophomore Luke Clanton.
Butler never trailed to Clanton. He was 1UP on the 17th hole, and Clanton almost made things interesting. The FSU sophomore’s chips shot for birdie, hit the cup and bounced away from the hole.
They both settled for par for Butler to win 2& 1.
The Tigers’ freshman phenom Jackson Koivun scored the day’s first point as he defeated the Noles’ Brett Roberts 5& 4.
They were tied after three holes, and then the 2024 Fred Haskins Award winner went on a heater to end his year with a 3-0 match play record.
The freshman sent the Tigers to the finals on Tuesday, when he made a 5-footer for birdie on the 21st hole to give Auburn the 3-2 win over Ohio State.
Florida State won the first two matches, with Cole Anderson defeating Carson Bacha, 1UP. In the second match, Tyler Weaver won 2&1 over Josiah Gilbert.
Brendan Valdes gave the Tigers their second point of the day, winning his match 4&3 over Frederik Kjettrup.
In true Auburn fashion, students rolled Toomers Corner to celebrate winning the national championship.
This win marked the Tigers’ 10th of the season and the seventh in a row. Auburn also won its fifth SEC Championship in April.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
