Jan. 25, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. - The No. 7 Auburn Men's Golf team will look to build off the success it had in the fall as the spring portion of the 2016-17 season quickly approaches. The Tigers won two out of four tournaments played and were runner-up in another.
Auburn will tee-off the spring portion Feb. 2-4 at the Amer Ari Invitational at the King's Course in Waikoloa, Hawaii.
The Tigers won back to back tournaments at the Inverness Intercollegiate in Toledo, Ohio, and the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate in Vestavia Hills, Ala., leading to a then No. 2 ranking in the country. They also finished runner-up in the opening tournament of the season, the Carpet Capital Collegiate. Auburn has now won 23 tournaments under head coach Nick Clinard while compiling 26 individual champions. Clinard looks for his team to carry that success into the spring.
"Our expectations don't really ever change," Clinard said. "We expect to prepare diligently, be committed to the process and chase our achievements. We look forward to some great competition."
Senior Will Long had an outstanding fall season, finishing in the top nine in each event including three top five finishes. The Gastonia, N.C., native looks for that success to carry over the break and enters the spring as the No. 4 rated individual in the country.
Long, who leads the team with a 69.75 stroke average, is also ranked No. 4 in the Arnold Palmer Cup rankings. He attributes his success to the hard work he has put into his short game.
"Last season I was average at putting and a pretty decent ball striker," Long said. "I really committed myself to become a better putter, and that's really what makes the change from an average player to a good player. Putting is probably the best part of my game now. It's the area that I have worked the hardest on."
Returning alongside Long are fellow seniors Matt Gilchrest, Ryan Benton and Blake Messer, junior All-America Ben Schlottman, sophomores Jacob Solomon, Trace Crowe, Graysen Huff and Ryan Knop, and freshmen Jovan Rebula and Regan Harrell.
Gilchrest, a two-time All-SEC performer from Southlake, Texas, tied for fourth at the Inverness Intercollegiate at 2-under 64-72-75--211. His opening round 64 tied his own 2015 Amer Ari Invitational second round along with Stuart Moore at the 2006 Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate and Michael Johnson at the 2015 Primland Collegiate for the second-lowest round in school history.
Benton, a native of Dothan, Ala., began his senior campaign with a bang, tying for runner-up at the Carpet Capital Collegiate and t-4th at the Inverness Intercollegiate.
Upon their return from the islands, the Tigers will play in the All-American Intercollegiate in Houston, Texas, Feb. 17-19, their own hosted Tiger Invitational presented by Jason Dufner at Grand National March 5-7 and the Bandon Dunes Championship in Bandon, Ore., March 12-14. Auburn will then head to Awendaw, S.C., for the Hootie at Bulls Bay March 26-28 and finish the regular season in Gastonia, N.C., at the Gary Koch Invitational April 10-11.
The SEC Championship will be held April 21-24 at Sea Island, Ga., followed by the NCAA regionals May 15-17. The NCAA Championship will be at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill., May 26-31.