April 24, 2018
AUBURN, Ala. - The No. 9 Auburn men's golf team is set to begin play at the SEC Championship at the par-70, 6,898-yard Seaside Course at St. Simons Island, Ga., Wednesday through Sunday.
The Tigers one of eight ranked teams in the latest Golfstat poll to take part in the annual postseason tournament. No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Florida, No. 11 LSU, No. 16 Arkansas and No. 19 Kentucky join Auburn in a loaded field.
"I think the guys have had a great spring," head coach Nick Clinard said. "They are prepared and are looking forward to the opportunity to go compete and see how they stack up.
"It's the best conference in the country. There are going to be guys that play the PGA Tour out of the SEC. It's a privilege to coach in this conference and our players are looking forward to the opportunity."
The Tigers will take Trace Crowe, Ryan Knop, Brandon Mancheno, Wells Padgett and Jovan Rebula in search of the their first conference title since 2002.
Crowe is coming off a medalist finish in the Gary Koch Invitational where he shot a career-low 16-under. In the second of his three circuits, the junior matched a program record with a 9-under 63, tying Kyle Kopsick in 2009. He has three top-10 finishes this season and touts a round average of 71.23.
Knop has carded three top-10 finishes this season and has produced 10 rounds at or under par. The junior averages 71.57 strokes per round.
In his first season on The Plains, Mancheno has racked up a team-best seven top-20 finishes, including five in the top 10. The freshman has been the best finisher in five of Auburn's tournaments this season has a round average of 70.60 - a team-best.
Padgett, a fellow freshman, brings an average of 71.67 strokes per round to the conference tournament. He has accounted for 14 rounds at or under par to highlight five top-20 finishes, including a team-best ninth at the Tavistock Invitational in October.
Rebula has a team-high 20 rounds at or under par, including 17 below par. He's even carded nine rounds in the 60s. The junior has a scoring average of 70.70 strokes per round.
The Tigers will get a practice round in Wednesday before teeing off the first round of stroke play at 11:55 a.m. CT. Auburn is paired with Florida and LSU for the opening round.
The second round will take place Thursday with the final round on Friday.
The top eight teams will then battle it out in match play Saturday and Sunday for the right to be called champions.
Quarterfinals and semifinals will take place Saturday on SEC Network+, with the finals of match play on SEC Network Sunday.
Live scoring will be available all week at Golfstat.com.