AUBURN, Ala. –The last time Wells Padgett competed in match play against Alabama, he saved his best for last. This time, the Auburn sophomore unleashed a match-defining shot on the opening hole.
Padgett, whose 25-foot birdie putt on 18 secured the 2018 SEC Championship for the Tigers, holed out his approach shot for an eagle on the par-5 first hole at the East Lake Cup, propelling him to a 4&3 win in Auburn's 4-1 victory in Atlanta on Halloween.
"Just trying to set the tone early, and being able to hole out for eagle, especially when he had a 30-foot eagle putt, that kind of took the air out of him a little bit," Padgett said. "That's what I was trying to do the whole match. That was good to start off that way."
That the opponent was Auburn's in-state SEC rival only sweetened the victory.
"We're pretty juiced up to go and get them every time we play them," Padgett said. "For a tournament like that, it's just special to be able to beat them there."
The challenge of match play appeals to Auburn's golfers, coach Nick Clinard said.
"They're tough. They like to go head to head. They like to compete for each other," Clinard said. "They're a very connected group, they're very committed. They love each other and they play for that name on the back and they play hard for each other.
"I think it makes a difference at the end of the day. We're a very individual sport, but they come together as a team, and that's the most important part. I think that's why they're so successful in match play."
"I think it makes us rise to another level," Padgett said. "We push each other every day. Being able to play those teams in those tournaments really makes us reach another level and try to play our best."
The victory culminated a fall campaign in which Auburn steadily improved from each previous event.
"We were trending the whole fall," said senior Trace Crowe, whose comeback victory earned Auburn's first point in the East Lake Cup finals. "We didn't have our best stuff in the beginning but we slowly got better."
"We just kept working," Clinard said. "We got to play eight different guys. I think that's good for the program, that's also good for depth, it gives some guys some experience. Guys kept getting better and we're looking forward to the spring."
The Tigers' next competition will be the Amer Ari Invitational in Hawaii Feb. 7-9, giving Auburn's golfers three months to prepare for the spring season.
"It's going to be a lot of hard workouts," Crowe said. "Just offseason practice and trying to get better, chase the ultimate goal."
Returning much of the lineup that helped the Tigers finish third at the 2018 NCAA Championship, Auburn expects to contend for the crown in 2019.
"We're really good," Clinard said. "We've got to be a little bit better in ball striking, we've got to be a little better in managing our game. We've got to make a few more putts, but I'm sure all the teams could say that, but we're very skilled, and it's just a matter of continuing to be hungry, and I think this group's pretty hungry and they want to go chase some championships."
Seniors Jacob Solomon and Crowe will provide leadership, along with junior Jovan Rebula, the 2018 British Amateur champion. Padgett and fellow sophomore Brandon Mancheno, the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2018, were key contributors to the Tigers postseason success a year ago. Andrew Kozan, Graysen Huff and Ryan Knop also competed for Auburn in the fall.
"Senior year, I'd love for us to go back to SECs and try to get the win again, and hopefully chase the ultimate goal, winning the national championship this year," Crowe said. "Senior year, go out with a bang."
"They like to compete for each other."
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) November 2, 2018
🗣@AuburnMGolf HC Nick Clinard
"It makes us rise to another level."
🗣@Wells_Padgett22
"Senior year... go out with a bang."
🗣@TraceCrowe
8️⃣5️⃣-second 🎥 recaps @eastlakecup win & previews 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣9️⃣ spring.
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Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer