Auburn Golf Secures Top Seed for NCAA Championship Match Play

Auburn's quest for a second national championship is set to kick off as they enter the NCAA championships as the top seed for match play. The Tigers finished the four rounds with an impressive team score of 25-under, with Josiah Gilbert making the crucial final birdie that clinched the top position. Their victory came after a three-shot lead over Texas, who faltered with a double-bogey on the last hole.

The Tigers surged ahead during the second round, posting a remarkable team score of 16-under. Gilbert led the charge with a stellar 5-under 67, while world No. 1 amateur Jackson Koivun contributed a 4-under 68, alongside Jake Albert's efforts.

Individually, Gilbert finished third overall with a total of 11-under for the tournament. Koivun tied for 11th at 7-under, while Logan Reilly tied for 19th with a score of 4-under. Albert and Cayden Pope finished tied for 32nd and 58th, respectively. As the top seed, Auburn will advance to the quarterfinals, with all five players ready to take the course.

The quarterfinal and semifinal matches are scheduled for Tuesday, followed by the finals on Wednesday. Golf Channel will broadcast the semifinals beginning at 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday and the finals at the same time on Wednesday. Auburn's first matchup in the match play segment will be against Stanford.

This marks a significant moment for the Tigers, who clinched the 2024 National Championship, largely thanks to Koivun's standout freshman performance, where he finished tied for second individually and earned his PGA Tour card through an accelerated program in 2025.