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Jackson Koivun, underclassmen lead Auburn to second NCAA Men’s Golf title

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CARLSBAD, Calif. — The party was on, but the final person was still missing.

Auburn coach Nick Clinard noticed it first, asking, “Where’s Pope?” in reference to Cayden Pope, playing the anchor match for the Tigers during Wednesday’s NCAA Men’s Golf Championship match at Omni La Costa. He was in full control and on the verge of closing out his match on the 14th hole. His teammate one upped him and did the honor for him.

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Pope came sprinting down the hill behind Omni La Costa’s 18th green, and the Auburn team screamed and ran to celebrate with him. Pope screamed, his coach cheered and the jubilee was just getting started.

The top-ranked Tigers knocked off No. 23 UCLA in the championship match 4-1, and the final score was never in doubt. The underdog Bruins looked the part Wednesday, as once Auburn made the turn flexed its muscle and dominated, with freshman Logan Reilly knocking in a par putt from 4 feet on the 18th hole to clinch his team’s second national championship in the past three years.

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2026 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship: Match play field, pairings set for quarterfinals

A general view of signage on the course during the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 29, 2026 in Carlsbad, California.

(Ryan Sirius Sun, Getty Images)

“Our guys just kept doing what they’re doing,” Clinard said. “We played some really good golf this week right from the start in the first round. It was windier today and probably the windiest day we’ve had since we’ve been here. I knew that we were good ball-strikers, and I knew that we could flight our golf ball. I felt pretty comfortable going into the round, but I know it’s match play and anything can happen. I really believed in my guys. Even though I wasn’t calm, I tried to stay calm so they could see that.”

The first and final Auburn point needed to clinch the title were won by freshman. Jake Albert got the scoring started with a 5-and-3 victory over Tyler Loree, winning the first two holes and never looking back. Reilly capped his back-and-forth match with a closing par, taking advantage of UCLA’s Alex Papayoanou hitting his tee shot on the closing hole into the water, all but sealing his fate.

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Jackson Koivun, the best amateur in the world and Auburn’s match-play stalwart, clinched the second point in stellar fashion. The match with Baylor Larrabee was tied after five holes, then Koivun took over, winning five of the next 10 and capping off the match with a birdie putt on the par-4 15th for a 4-and-3 win.

Koivun, who helped the Tigers win their first national title as a freshman in 2024, enjoyed the process of battling through adversity with this year’s team that includes no seniors in the lineup.

“This was a new group of guys,” Koivun said. “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 hasn’t announced whether he will turn pro – he has a PGA Tour card in his pocket if he chooses to end his amateur career – but he has nothing left to prove in the amateur game. He’s a two-time winner of the Fred Haskins Award (Heisman Trophy of college golf), the Ben Hogan Award and now a two-time national champion.

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His final fist pump will be a fitting end to arguably the best amateur career this century if he indeed turns pro.

As for the Tigers, a majority of the lineup should return next season. That’s a scary proposition for he rest of college golf.

““It brings tears to my eyes,” Clinard said of winning another national championship. “I love them so much and I love Auburn and our program. I’m just very grateful.”

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Auburn defeats UCLA to win 2026 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship

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