WEST POINT, Miss. - The top-ranked Tigers of Auburn men's golf hit the ground running Monday at the Mossy Oak Collegiate, throwing up a massive 35-under total to build up a 23-shot lead through the first two rounds of the tournament.
All five men in the Tigers' team lineup head into Tuesday's finale within striking distance of medalist honors. Freshman Jackson Koivun and redshirt junior Carson Bacha share the individual lead at 9-under. Koivun went 66-69 on Monday, while Bacha threw up the reverse, a 69-66, to lead Auburn's contingent.
Senior J.M. Butler, junior Brendan Valdes and freshman Josiah Gilbert all follow tightly behind at 7-under 137. Butler and Valdes both fired 68s in the opening round before shooting 69s in the second. Gilbert started his day with a 71 and followed it with a fiery 66 in the afternoon.
Sophomore individual Reed Lotter sits just inside the top 20. He shot 70-72 and is 2-under.
The quest for a fourth straight tournament title on Tuesday begins with Gilbert off hole 1 at 9:40 a.m. CT. Players will tee off in 10-minute intervals until 10:20 a.m. CT. The Tigers will be paired with Ole Miss and Cincinnati. Lotter will go off 10 at 8 a.m. CT.
