The nation’s top-ranked team is about to enter the postseason’s “sudden death” rounds, and they will have to do it without the comfort of a home crowd or a familiar fairway.
The No. 1 Auburn Tigers learned Wednesday they will be the top overall seed in the NCAA Athens Regional, traveling to the University of Georgia Golf Course from May 18-20. While being the No. 1 seed for the third consecutive season is an honor, Head Coach Nick Clinard is treating the draw to a rival’s home course as a significant hurdle.
“It’s a new challenge,” Clinard said, acknowledging the team’s unfamiliarity with the terrain. “I’ve never been to this course before, and none of our guys have played there. Everything in life is earned, much less golf, so we’ll have to go there and play well to get through.”
The Hostile (and Unfamiliar) Terrain
Unlike last season, when Auburn hosted a regional and set the NCAA record books on fire by winning by 27 strokes, the Tigers will be the visitors in Athens. They will tee off on a UGA course that measures 7,258 yards and plays to a par of 71.
Despite the SEC rivalry, the Tigers are not looking for excuses. The team is coming off a record-setting performance at the SEC Championship, where they shot a staggering 39-under-par during stroke play breaking the previous conference record that was ironically set by last season’s Auburn team. The reward for that dominance? A trip to a course where the host Georgia Bulldogs are itching to spoil the party.
The World’s No. 1 Leads the Charge
Auburn will roll out a lineup that features junior Jackson Koivun, the world’s top-ranked amateur. Koivun is coming off a historic spring where he became only the second player in SEC history to win three straight individual conference titles.
He is joined in the starting five by juniors Josiah Gilbert and Cayden Pope, as well as freshmen Jake Albert and Logan Reilly. Sophomore Billy Davis will travel as the reserve player.
The Gauntlet: Regional Field Preview
While Auburn is the headliner, the Athens Regional is stacked with depth, leaving no room for error. The top five teams from the 13-team field advance to the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, California.
The Tigers will play their opening rounds alongside the biggest threats in the bracket: No. 12 Illinois and No. 13 Vanderbilt. Illinois, the No. 2 seed, is led by a veteran squad, while Vanderbilt the No. 3 seed brings SEC familiarity.
Full Athens Regional Field (Seed Order):
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Auburn (National No. 1)
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Illinois (No. 12)
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Vanderbilt (No. 13)
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BYU (No. 24)
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Georgia (Host)
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Louisville
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Kansas
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Northwestern
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College of Charleston
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Rice
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Southern Miss
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Harvard
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Howard
Stakes and Schedule
The stakes are simple: finish in the top five, or the season is over. The three-day, 54-hole stroke play marathon begins Monday, May 18, with Auburn teeing off at 8:00 a.m. ET. The low five teams and the low individual from a non-advancing team will punch their ticket to the national championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa from May 29 – June 3.
Clinard’s history suggests the Tigers can handle the pressure. Since he took over, Auburn has advanced to the NCAA Championship 12 times in 15 regional appearances, including four straight. However, this marks the first time in the modern era that this specific roster and this coaching staff will navigate the unique hostility of the UGA Golf Course in a win-or-go-home setting.
“We have to go there and play well,” Clinard said. “That’s the only option.”
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