No. 1 Auburn men’s golf took second place at the Ford Collegiate Golf Tournament in Richmond Hill, Georgia, this week, unable to edge out No. 3 Texas.
Despite shooting 10 under or better in two of its three rounds, Auburn finished 11 strokes behind Texas, which shot 13 under or better in every round of the tournament. However, with the Tigers finishing second or better in their last eight tournaments, they carry strong momentum into the SEC Tournament in St. Simons Island, Georgia, next weekend.
Auburn put together its best round of the tournament in the opening round, combining for a 12-under score, four shots behind Texas. Junior Cayden Pope led the way for the Tigers, recording an eagle on hole No. 3 to finish at 5 under. Freshman Logan Reilly backed him up, birdieing his final four holes to finish 4 under. Junior Jackson Koivun and sophomore Billy Davis produced solid 2-under performances. Texas outdid Auburn, however, with two players finishing 5 under or better to post a combined 16-under score.
The Tigers would continue their solid play into the second round, finishing 11 under on the day, three shots behind Texas. Koivun and Pope would keep up their great play, with Koivun recording five birdies on the front nine to finish 5 under, and Pope birdieing his first and final two holes to finish 4 under. Freshman Jake Albert would finish with his best round of the tournament, finishing 2 under and recording just one bogey. Entering the final round, Auburn trailed Texas by seven strokes.
In the final round, the Tigers would put up their lowest output of the tournament, finishing a combined 9 under on the day. Koivun put up his best performance of the tournament, securing a score of 6 under thanks to an impressive back nine in which he birdied six holes. Junior Josiah Gilbert put up his best performance of the tournament as well, finishing 3 under. The rest of the squad would struggle, finishing 1 over on the day.
As Auburn heads into the SEC Tournament as the No. 1 team in the nation, the Tigers will be hoping to win their third consecutive SEC title. Auburn opens play next week in St. Simons Island, Georgia.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
