Men's golf senior Dominic Bozzelli started the 2013 NCAA Championship 4-over in the first 12 holes of the tournament, finishing tied for 49th on the first day of play.
Thirty-six holes later, Bozzelli finished 6-under 204 and tied second overall.
Bozzelli's comeback helped fuel No. 18 Auburn to a 13th place finish in the NCAA Championship Thursday, May 20, the team's highest finish since 2003.
"We made a great run there," said Auburn head coach Nick Clinard. "We turned at 3-over and we finally got it going on the front side. For the whole week, we made a lot of birdies there and just didn't close at the end. The first day just set us back shooting 12-over."
Following the first day of play, Auburn was tied for 27th and then worked its way up to 13th after carding a final round 5-under 275 to finish at 6-over for the tournament.
"You have to be proud of their toughness and resilience in coming back," Clinard said. "We are one of the best teams here, but just didn't make enough putts this week."
Bozzelli finished three shots behind California's Max Homa to tie for second overall after a bogey-free final round. The second place finish is Auburn's best individual performance in the NCAA Championship since Lee Williams' in 2003.
"Dominic (Bozzelli) is a great player and what a great career he has had. I wish he wasn't leaving. He made a lot of putts. He's worked very, very hard," Clinard said. "He has really grown as a player. He lost a year of eligibility in his transfer, but his first year at Auburn he only played in four tournaments. To be where he is today is a testament to his hard work and his desire to be great."
The senior birdied holes three, five, seven and 12 to finish the day with a 4-under 66.
"I was just trying to come out and shoot a good round for the team," Bozzelli said. "Obviously, we knew we had to make a lot of birdies. I was bogey-free today and am proud of that. I am happy with a 66 today. The guys' effort was there, and we had a pretty good run today."
Auburn sophomore Michael Johnson tied for 38th, followed by junior Niclas Carlsson in 69th and freshman Jake Moody in 109th place. No. 1 ranked California will be the top seed in match play after its 16-under 824, followed by No. 8 Georgia Tech, No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Texas.
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