CARLSBAD, California — For the second time in three years, the Auburn Tigers reign supreme atop the college golf world.
The top-seeded Tigers delivered a masterclass in match-play pressure Wednesday at Omni La Costa Resort, defeating No. 23 UCLA 4-1 to capture the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf National Championship . The victory marks the program’s second national title, with both championships coming at the same venue where Auburn first broke through in 2024 .
“It brings tears to my eyes. I love them so much, and I love Auburn and our program. I’m very grateful,” said head coach Nick Clinard, who has built a dynasty on the Plains. “Our guys just kept doing what they’re doing. We played some really good golf this week right from the start” .
A Wire-to-Wire Performance
The Tigers entered match play with unprecedented momentum, having secured the No. 1 seed after finishing first in stroke play for the first time in program history . Auburn cruised past No. 15 Stanford 3.5-1.5 in the quarterfinals before delivering a dominant 5-0 sweep of defending national champion Oklahoma State in the semifinals .
In Wednesday’s championship final against UCLA, Auburn never trailed . Freshman Logan Reilly set the tone in the leadoff match, winning his first hole and never surrendering his advantage before clinching the decisive third point with a par on the par-5 18th hole .
“It means the world, and you cannot dream of anything better, especially with the feeling of all the guys and the Auburn family behind you and supporting you,” Reilly said. “This is the craziest feeling, and I cannot wait to bring home the trophy to the Plains” .
Koivun’s Championship Finale
Junior Jackson Koivun, the world’s top-ranked amateur and two-time national player of the year, delivered another signature performance in what may be his final college event . After falling behind on the second hole, Koivun responded with birdies on Nos. 4 and 6 to seize control against UCLA’s Baylor Larrabee . He pulled away by winning consecutive holes on 9 and 10 before closing out a 4-and-3 victory with a birdie putt on No. 15, pumping his fist in celebration .
“I stayed really consistent and kept my foot down on the pedal,” Koivun said. “Baylor is a great player, and I just happened to come out victorious” .
Reflecting on the season, Koivun added: “This was a new group of guys. We faced some adversity early on in the season. To see us battle back after that and get to this point is really a cool thing” .
Koivun’s decision to return to Auburn rather than turn professional proved prophetic. “Jackson Koivun could’ve gone to the PGA Tour last year, but he chose to come back to Auburn for this reason right here—he came back to Auburn to win a national championship,” Clinard said .
Depth Across the Lineup
While Koivun commanded attention, Auburn’s victory was a testament to the team’s remarkable depth. SEC Freshman of the Year Jake Albert delivered the first point of the championship match, dominating UCLA’s Tyler Loree 5-and-3 after winning his first two holes and never trailing .
Junior Cayden Pope provided the exclamation point from the anchor position. Pope never trailed against UCLA’s Kyle An, reclaiming momentum on the back nine before winning three consecutive holes, highlighted by a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 13, to secure a 4-up victory .
UCLA’s lone point came in the fourth match, where Josh Kim defeated Auburn’s Josiah Gilbert . Despite the loss, Bruins head coach Armen Kirakossian offered high praise for the champions.
“Auburn continued to play awesome, and I thought our guys were solid,” Kirakossian said. “They made birdies on holes that, frankly, people all week were not making birdies on. You just cannot do much about that. They played amazing today” .
Koivun’s Historic Season
The championship capped an individual season for Koivun that will be remembered among the greatest in college golf history. Just two days before the title match, Koivun was named the recipient of the 2026 Fred Haskins Award, marking his second national player of the year honor .
With the award, Koivun became just the fourth multi-time winner in Haskins Award history, joining an elite group that includes Texas’ Ben Crenshaw (1971-73), BYU’s Bobby Clampett (1979-80) and Arizona State’s Phil Mickelson (1990-92) . He is also the first player in college golf history to win multiple Haskins and Hogan Awards .
“It’s just a huge honor to come back after my freshman year and put my name back on the Haskins trophy,” Koivun said. “Whenever you can say you’re the top collegiate golfer, it’s just a very big honor” .
Koivun’s statistical dominance was staggering. The junior from Chapel Hill, North Carolina collected six victories in 10 starts since February, setting Auburn’s career wins record while also tying the SEC career wins mark . He recorded a program-record 196 birdies, posted 33 rounds at par or better in 40 opportunities, and entered NCAA Match Play averaging 68.20 strokes per round, with 13 top-10 finishes in 14 tournaments .
A Program Transformed
When Clinard took over Auburn’s program, the Tigers had never won a national championship. Now they have two in three years, with a roster that features no seniors . The 2024 title came against Florida State on the same La Costa course, and the 2026 triumph solidifies Auburn’s status as college golf’s new dynasty.
“I thought the connectivity, the heart, the love and care for each other was really special,” Clinard said .
The Tigers’ celebration on the 18th green reflected not just a championship won, but a program’s arrival. With Koivun likely headed to the PGA Tour and a young core of Albert, Reilly and Pope returning, Auburn’s future remains as bright as the California sunshine that illuminated their latest triumph.
“Just a lot of heart, a lot of guts, a lot of grit,” Clinard said. “Incredible culture” .
Leave a Reply