AUBURN, Ala. – Returning home for its only local action of the year, No. 22 Auburn men's golf looks to defend a streak of five straight championships at this year's Tiger Invitational presented by Jason Dufner Sunday through Tuesday at Grand National Golf Club in Opelika, Alabama.
"We've got a lot of great teams and great coaches coming to challenge us this week," Tigers head coach Nick Clinard said. "We have the chance to play two teams, which will be a great opportunity for all of our guys to get some quality playing experience, especially the younger ones who have yet to really taste that tournament action. I'm excited to watch both of our lineups push each other and, hopefully, one will come out on top."
Of the previous nine installments of the Tiger Invitational, Auburn has proved victorious in seven, including five in a row dating back to 2017.
Last year, the Tigers shot 838, 26-under-par as a squad to edge out in-state foe Alabama and win the tournament crown by two strokes. Graysen Huff led the charge with a sixth place, seven-under outing. Also finishing inside the top 25 and below par were J.M. Butler, Austin Coggin, C.J. Easley and Alex Vogelsong, a foursome that will return to action this week.
Auburn will send two lineups to compete in this year's invitational. The first group will be composed of Butler, Coggin, Easley, Evan Vo and Brendan Valdes while Vogelsong, Carson Bacha, Ryan Eshleman, Max Johnson and Hal Dove will make up the second group.
Butler has led the way for the Tigers thus far this season. The sophomore is averaging 70.42 strokes per round on the year, a total good for sixth-best in the SEC, while also notching a trio of top-five finishes through four tournaments.
Another Tiger with a hot hand is the junior Coggin, who is playing the best golf of his Auburn career, averaging 71.42 strokes per round, a mark that is over a stroke and a half lower than his previous two years combined. Coggin also leads the team with 53 birdies made on the season, averaging nearly five per round.
The Tigers also look to lean on the upperclassmen duo of Vogelsong and Easley to turn in low scorecards throughout the week. Both players boast a wealth of experience that includes a pair of Tiger Invitational victories and over 30 rounds played in their respective careers.
Complementary to the experience of the upperclassmen are the three talented, younger Tigers looking to make a statement in the early stages of their careers. Freshmen Valdes and Vo will be seeing action for the fourth time this season, and sophomore Johnson will be making his collegiate debut.
If Auburn wishes to continue its winning ways, it'll have to edge out a field of 15 competitors. The schools also vying for top honors will be Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia State, James Madison, Kennesaw State, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, North Alabama, UNC-Wilmington, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, No. 19 Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky and Wichita State.
Throughout the invitational, fan attendance is free and encouraged. Teams will tee off between 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. CST each day. Grand National Golf Club is located at 3000 Robert Trent Jones Trail, Opelika, AL 36801.
Live scoring will be available all week long at Golfstat.com.
