Auburn men’s golf advances to final round of the national championship

Auburn men’s golf is just one victory away from hoisting its second national trophy in three seasons. The Tigers punched their ticket to the championship round by dismantling Oklahoma State during the match play semifinals on Tuesday at the Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California.

A Dominant Semifinal Performance

Facing off against the 2025 national champions, Auburn left no doubt on the course. In a statement 5-0 sweep of the Cowboys, Logan Reilly, Josiah Gilbert, and Cayden Pope secured their respective matches early to seal the outcome. While the head-to-head showdown between Auburn standout Jackson Koivun and Oklahoma State’s stroke-play leader Preston Stout remained unfinished, Koivun held a 1UP lead at the moment Pope clinched the team’s advancement by defeating Filip Fahlberg-Johnsson.

Looking Ahead to the Final

Reflecting on the team's grit after the match, Koivun told The Golf Channel, “We got five really good players. We love match play, and we like this golf course, and our young guys are really stepping up and performing, which is really, really good to see for the future.”

The Tigers now turn their focus to UCLA in the match play finals. The Bruins secured their spot after a 3.5-1.5 victory over Arizona and are hunting for their first national title since 2008. As reported by 205focus.com, Auburn head coach Nick Clinard remains locked in on the ultimate prize.

“We start in August, and I tell them I coach for the national championship,” Clinard shared during an interview on The Golf Channel. “I tell them that in the first team meeting that we coach to get you here and we coach to play well and have a chance to win a national championship. And that’s hopefully what we’re going to do tomorrow.”