Reviewed by: Liv George
Auburn men’s golf wins first ever national title
Reading time: 3 minutes
For the first time ever, Auburn has won the men’s golf national championship.
Auburn was ranked #1 in the country entering the postseason and just finished off the fifth SEC Championship in program history before starting its run in the NCAA Tournament. After winning the Baton Rouge Regional, the Tigers headed out west and will be coming home with its first ever team national championship in men’s golf.
Keep reading to find out more about how Auburn got the job done + which local golfers received national recognition for their 2024 performances.
Auburn defeats Florida State in dramatic final
30 teams took to the La Costa Resort Spa Champions Course in Carlsbad, California, first competing in a team stroke play. The top eight teams advanced to a match play tournament.
Auburn entered match play as the 6 seed but defeated #3 Virginia and #7 Ohio State Tuesday to earn a spot in the national championship match. The semifinal came down to the final match with freshman Jackson Koivun finishing off the Buckeyes on the third-playoff hole of his matchup.
The Tigers met up with Florida State and it once again came down to the final matchup. Here’s how the championship went:
- Cole Anderson (FSU) 1UP over Carson Bacha (Auburn)
- Tyler Weaver (FSU) 2&1 over Josiah Gilbert (Auburn)
- Jackson Koivun (Auburn) 5&4 over Brett Roberts (FSU)
- Brendan Valdes (Auburn ) 4&3 over Frederick Kjettrup (FSU)
- J.M. Butler (Auburn) 2&1 over Luke Clanton (FSU)
The championship came down to Butler, who took control of his match after Clanton hit the ball into water on the 15th hole. Butler tied the next two holes, clinching the title for Auburn.
Individual accolades
Auburn won the team national championship but it’s still nice to get some individual recognition, especially in the sport of golf.
Earlier in the week, Jackson Koivun was named the recipient of the 2024 Fred Haskins Award. Koivun is the first Auburn player in history to win the Haskins. He is the first freshman to be awarded since Alabama’s Justin Thomas in 2012.
Koivun was also recognized this year as the SEC Player of the Year and an All-American. Brendan Valdes was also named as a first-team All-American.
Former Mountain Brook star and current Vanderbilt golfer Gordon Sargent was also named an All-American, receiving the honor for the third consecutive season. He has already announced he will return to the team his senior year.
Did you watch Auburn’s golf team compete in the national championships? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
