SEC CHAMPS!!!!! No. 1 Auburn beats No. 2 Vanderbilt to win conference title

[aubiefifty 16,821]

 

auburntigers.com

 

No. 1 Auburn goes 6-under to open SEC Championship in third

Auburn University Athletics

5–6 minutes

---

SEA ISLAND, Ga. – No. 1 Auburn men's golf began its showing at the 2024 SEC Championship with a 6-under 274 Wednesday at Seaside Golf Club. The Tigers hold strong at third heading into Thursday's round.

  Auburn trails leader Vanderbilt by five strokes. The Tigers will need a top-eight placement following Friday's third round of stroke play to advance to the match play stage of the tournament. Currently, Auburn sits nine shots ahead of ninth place.

  Freshman Jackson Koivun led Auburn's round one charge with an impressive 4-under 66. Koivun bogeyed just twice on the day and finished his round with three birdies and five pars over his final eight holes. He sits tied for second place, individually.

  Junior Brendan Valdes and freshman Josiah Gilbert were the squad's other two subpar players. Both men shot 1-under 69 with the help of three birdies. Valdes found his on 4, 9 and 16. Gilbert's came via holes 7, 8 and 17.

  Upperclassmen Carson Bacha and J.M. Butler finished one shot higher with a par of even 70s. Bacha birdied twice. Butler made four.

  For Thursday's second set of 18, Auburn will play in the 1, 2, 3 group alongside Vanderbilt and Georgia. Butler will lead off for the Tigers on hole 1 at 7 a.m. CT. 

Players Mentioned

 

Carson Bacha

5' 8" Redshirt Junior

 

J.M. Butler

6' 3" Senior

 

Brendan Valdes

6' 0" Junior

 

Josiah Gilbert

5' 9" Freshman

 

Jackson Koivun

5' 10" Freshman

[augolf1716 21,219]

Back nine got us a little yesterday we're currently 10 under thru 8 holes on the front nine good front nine so far. Just need to get into match play which we will do. Anything can happen in match play just ask the girls team.

[augolf1716 21,219]

Currently tied for second at 12 under with uga and behind vandy by 3 thru 16 holes. JM Butler not having one of his best rounds has hurt us a bit.

[augolf1716 21,219]

Currently 2 under for today tied with UTk for third and 2 strokes behind UF and Vandy. Rounds just started so we got a ways to go. We have no problem finishing in top 8 and then we go to match play. People need to keep in mind these guys will play a lot of golf if we win the SEC by weeks end.

[augolf1716 21,219]

We are now tied with Vandy for the lead at 15 under  and 5 under for today. JM Butler has done a complete turnaround from yesterday he is currently 4 under for today round. Our top two guys are a combined 3 over atm.

A little side story JM had a 10 on #16 yesterday but today he birdies the same hole a 7 shot swing....that's golf. 

[ArgoEagle 1,790]

55 minutes ago, augolf1716 said:

We are now tied with Vandy for the lead at 15 under  and 5 under for today. JM Butler has done a complete turnaround from yesterday he is currently 4 under for today round. Our top two guys are a combined 3 over atm.

A little side story JM had a 10 on #16 yesterday but today he birdies the same hole a 7 shot swing....that's golf. 

Thanks for the updates Golf.  Keep em comin

[augolf1716 21,219]

Well going back and forth currently tied for second one stroke behind UGA with 4 holes to. We could end up 1st or 5th  its 3 strokes difference for the five teams.

 

Jackson Koivun is starting to pull away for the individual title he has a 4 stroke lead.

[augolf1716 21,219]

Finished tied for first with UTk at 14 under.  Arkansas has a very slim chance of tying us as well but I doubt they will. And Jackson ran away with the individual title won by 6 strokes just an unbelievable/amazing freshman

[autigeremt 6,651]

This team is on 🔥. We have a legit shot at a national championship this year. 

[I_M4_AU 7,863]

 

 

[augolf1716 21,219]

Now the real tournament begins with match play. Guess who we play as the #1 seed we'll play the turds who's #8.  You would think we would be heavy favorites but in match play anything can happen. Turds have a good team hell the SEC has 9 teams in the top 25. Anyone of the 8 teams could win the tournament so much will depend on the hot hand as a team/individual. 

Right now all our guys are playing good steady golf.  

[I_M4_AU 7,863]

 

 

[augolf1716 21,219]

Match play is hard to do updates best I can tell you is we're 4-0-1 thru about 8 hole. We are playing very good atm

[augolf1716 21,219]

Oh boy has tighten up a bit coming down to last pair with JM. Not feeling to good atm gotta hang on....that's golf

[augolf1716 21,219]

Man we hung on……JM birdied the 17th to win 2-1 for the win at 3-2

[I_M4_AU 7,863]

Video evidence:

 

 

[Golden Eagle 368]

Whew...so so glad AU won this match.  Hate losing ANY competition to Bama.  WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!

[augolf1716 21,219]

Playing Ark. rounds just started with Vandy playing A&M later

[augolf1716 21,219]

Still got a ways to go doing good just play solid golf rest of the way......Jackson lost his first hole of the day. 

 

Semifinals Match 1
	Auburn		4-0-1 |		ARK
	C . Bacha		up 2 thru 14		J . Driscoll
	J . Gilbert		Tie thru 13		J . Skov Olesen
	J . Koivun		up 3 thru 12		T . Curry
	B . Valdes		up 5 thru 11		C . Castillo
	J . Butler		up 1 thru 10		M . Lefèvre

[augolf1716 21,219]

It's final ended kicking some butt the last few holes now we wait for either Vandy or A&M. And so those not aware with match scoring JM did not get beat 5&1 we had already won the match by the time he got to 14th  there was no reason to continue play, At the time he was one down with 5 holes to play. 

A&M is leading their match thru 11 holes I don't care who we play and I don't think this Auburn team does either.

 

 

Apr 24-28, 2024

Semifinals Match 1
	Auburn		4-1-0		ARK
	C . Bacha		3&2		J . Driscoll
	J . Gilbert		1&1		J . Skov Olesen
	J . Koivun		3&2		T . Curry
	B . Valdes		6&5		C . Castillo
	J . Butler		1&5		M . Lefèvre

[augolf1716 21,219]

Vandy it is............. so its #1 Auburn vs #2 Vandy

[augolf1716 21,219]

SEA ISLAND, Ga. – Auburn men's golf will play for the 2024 SEC Championship after a marathon of a Saturday that included a gutsy 3-2 win over No. 9 Alabama and a dominant 4-1 win over No. 11 Arkansas in the tournament's respective quarterfinal and semifinal matches at Seaside Golf Club.
 
The Tigers go for the gold Sunday against No. 2 Vanderbilt with the opening tee time slated for 7 a.m. CT. The SEC Network will broadcast the match in its entirety.
 
"It was a long, hard-fought, emotional day," Auburn head coach Nick Clinard said. "We had a tough match in the morning against Alabama, but we played some great golf and got pushed to our limits, but we didn't break. To turn around so fast in the afternoon and beat a great Arkansas team was a credit to the guys' mentality. They put their foot down and were not going to be denied a spot in the championship."
 
In the quarterfinal showdown against the Crimson Tide, it was freshman Josiah Gilbert who clinched Auburn's first point with a convincing 4&3 defeat of Jones Free. Gilbert fell behind after the first hole but battled back to tie the match on No. 2. He then took advantage of an Alabama error on the third hole to go one up and never looked back. He went on to force a tie on hole 15 and put the match out of reach.
 
Auburn's second quarterfinal point came from none other than SEC Individual Champion Jackson Koivun. After trailing by two with four holes to play against the Tide's Canon Claycomb, Koivun switched into a new gear and picked up back-to-back hole wins on 15 and 16 to tie the match. A gutsy par on No. 18 would be enough for the rookie to put the nail in the coffin on the final hole of the match.
 
Alabama would then pick up back-to-back match wins in extra holes to level the score at two-all.
 
With the weight of the team resting on his shoulders, senior J.M. Butler delivered with a clutch birdie on the par-3 17^th to increase his lead to two over Thomas Ponder with only one hole left, thus clinching the match and punching the Tigers' ticket to the semifinals.
 
It was a quick regroup as less than two hours later, Auburn's semifinal date with the No. 5-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks commenced.
 
The Orange & Blue found its first point via Brendan Valdes in the most lopsided match of the tournament so far. The junior from Orlando, Florida pulled ahead with a hole win on No. 3 and proceeded to keep his foot on the gas and pick up points on five of his next 10 holes. He birdied the par-4 13^th hole to officially hand the Razorback's Christian Castillo a 6&5 defeat and secure Auburn's first of four points.
 
"To be able to come back and get a point for our team after losing my morning match meant everything," Valdes said. "I knew (Carson) Bacha and I were going to put up a great fight after how we finished earlier. It's a credit to everyone and to our depth that we're able to win our matches with any of our starting five."
 
Next, Auburn inched closer to victory thanks to a 3&2 win on the back of redshirt junior Carson Bacha. Bacha found himself down a pair to John Driscoll after 10 holes but turned the match around quickly with five consecutive points on holes 11-15 to grow a three-up lead. A tie between the men on No. 16 would seal the deal and put the Tigers up by two with just one more point needed to secure the win.
 
It was Koivun's point on No. 16 that finished the job against Thomas Curry. Koivun birdied the first hole to jump out front immediately. He never trailed nor was tied in the match. He won 3&2.
 
With the match-clinching third team point, the other two active matches were called as they stood. Gilbert earned a 1&1 win over Jacob Skov Olesen. Butler received a loss to Matthis Lefevre as he was one down with five holes to play.
 
QUARTERFINAL MATCH: (1) Auburn def. (8) Alabama, 3-2
Cave def. Valdes, 20 Holes
Griz def. Bacha, 19 Holes
Gilbert def. Free, 4&3
Koivun def. Claycomb, 1-Up
Butler def. Ponder, 2&1
 
SEMIFINAL MATCH: (1) Auburn def. (5) Arkansas, 4-1
Bacha def. Driscoll, 3&2
Gilbert def. Skov Olesen, 1&1
Koivun def. Curry, 3&2
Valdes def. Castillo, 6&5
Lefevre def. Butler, 1&5
 

[augolf1716 21,219]

Hold your breath won two matches already....... come on Gilbert got the #2 amateur in the world on the ropes up 3 with 4 holes to go. Not in the bag yet......

 

Championship Match
	Auburn		3-2-0 |		Vandy
	C . Bacha		1UP		W . Moll
	B . Valdes		up 2 thru 14		J . Van Paris
	J . Gilbert		up 3 thru 14		G . Sargent
	J . Koivun		7&6		M . Riedel
	J . Butler		up 2 thru 12		C . Sherwood

[I_M4_AU 7,863]

Gilbert dodged a bullet on that hole. 

 

Edited April 28 by I_M4_AU

[augolf1716 21,219]

SEC Champs baby