May 17, 2014
AUBURN, Ala. - For the third straight year, Auburn golf will play in the NCAA Championships after it placed third in the NCAA Regional held at the Auburn University Club. Auburn shot 294-292-292--878 to finish plus-14.
"Obviously you want to win but just qualifying is fun," Auburn head coach Nick Clinard said. "You want to be in Kansas next week. It's a new tournament and we're looking forward to it."
Niclas Carlsson was Auburn's top finisher, shooting 1-under (70-72-73--215) for the weekend to tie for seventh, his best finish at a NCAA Regional.
"I really didn't play that well but I'm glad Will (Long) played well and we moved on," Carlsson said. "That's all that matters at regionals."
Freshman Will Long finished tied for 11th after a 74-73-69--216. His final-round 69 was one of just seven rounds in the 60s in Saturday's round and included a double-eagle on the par-5, 580-yard 16th hole.
"It was a par-5 and you can get there in two on a normal day," Long said. "I didn't hit my tee shot all that great. I was about 277 (yards out). I was just trying to hit the green and get a two-putt birdie. I hit it, it was going right at the hole, landed on the front and rolled right in like a putt."
Jake Mondy finished 27th at plus-6 (75-74-73--222), Matt Gilchrest tied for 52nd at plus-13 (75-77-77--229) and Daniel Stringfellow tied for 62nd at plus-18 (81-73-80--234).
Alabama won the team title at 11-under, shooting 287-284-282--853 and Kennesaw State was second at 11-over (297-291-287--875). The rest of the top five was Virginia Tech at plus-18 (301-291-290--882) in fourth and Texas at plus-20 (293-300-291--884) in fifth.
Marco Iten of Austin Peay, playing as an individual, won the individual tournament at 8-under. He shot 71-70-67--208.
Auburn will be playing in its 19th NCAA Championships, which will be held May 23-28 at Prairie Dunes in Wichita, Kan.
The NCAA Championships include the top five teams and the low individual not on an advancing team from the six regionals.
NCAA AUBURN REGIONAL - AUBURN UNIVERSITY CLUB (Par 72) | |||
| Team Standings - FINAL | |||
| 1. | 1 Alabama | 287-284-282--853 | -11 |
| 2. | 37 Kennesaw State | 297-291-287--875 | +11 |
| 3. | 23 Auburn | 294-292-292--878 | +14 |
| 4. | 12 Virginia Tech | 301-291-290--882 | +18 |
| 5. | 13 Texas | 293-300-291--884 | +20 |
| 6. | 25 New Mexico | 302-295-288--885 | +21 |
| T7. | UNCG | 298-296-292--886 | +22 |
| T7. | 36 BYU | 299-294-293--886 | +22 |
| T9. | 49 Louisville | 297-305-286--888 | +24 |
| T9. | UC Davis | 300-304-284--888 | +24 |
| 11. | Sam Houston State | 300-303-286--889 | +25 |
| 12. | 48 Colorado | 296-299-306--901 | +37 |
| 13. | Alabama State | 311-303-299--913 | +49 |
| 14. | St. John's | 315-300-303--918 | +54 |
| Auburn Individual Results | |||
| T7. | Niclas Carlsson | 70-72-73--215 | -1 |
| T11. | Will Long | 74-73-69--216 | E |
| 27. | Jake Mondy | 75-74-73--222 | +6 |
| T52. | Matt Gilchrest | 75-77-77--229 | +13 |
| T62. | Daniel Stringfellow | 81-73-80--234 | +18 |