Koivun cruises to medalist crown, Tigers clinch No. 1 seed versus Tide in SEC Championship quarterfinals

SEA ISLAND, Ga. – With a dazzling 12-under finish Friday, Auburn men's golf freshman Jackson Koivun captured SEC Individual Medalist by six strokes to give the Tigers the No. 1 overall seed heading into the SEC Championship Quarterfinals at Seaside Golf Club.

Auburn will face No. 8 seed Alabama in the Saturday's opening match. Brendan Valdes will lead off against JP Cave at 6:30 a.m. CT. Following in 10-minute intervals will be Carson Bacha versus Jonathan Griz, Josiah Gilbert versus Jones Free, Koivun against Canon Claycomb and in the anchor spot, J.M. Butler takes on Thomas Ponder.
 
"We got off to a fast start today and hung in there and made some key shots when we needed to," Tigers head coach Nick Clinard said. "Credit to all the guys, especially Jackson and Josiah and Brendan (Valdes) for coming up big there down the final stretch.
 
"We're resetting now that stroke play is over. It's a totally different mindset going into match play. It'll be a battle no matter what. Hopefully, we can play some good golf and see what happens."
 
The Tigers finished stroke play in a tie for first with No. 7 Tennessee at 14-under. The cumulative dropped score total from each round of play was used to break the tie and give Auburn the slight edge.
 
Koivun's championship effort was aided by a third-straight round with a 4-under 66. The rookie from Chapel Hill, North Carolina birdied three of his final six holes to run away with the title late.
 
"I've had a lot of good finishes so far, but I really hadn't broken through yet. I knew it was coming," Koivun said. "It feels great to get this win, but getting the team championship would be the sweetest accomplishment."             
 
He became the sixth Auburn man and first Auburn freshman to win the SEC individual title. The Tigers' last medalist came in 2019 via Jovan Rebula.
 
Freshman Josiah Gilbert also assisted in Auburn's surge to the top with a bogey-free 68 (-2). He picked up his pair of birdies on 15 and 16. Junior Brendan Valdes and senior J.M. Butler added to the counting scores with a pair of 71s (+1). Redshirt junior Carson Bacha carded a 72 (+2).
 
Broadcast coverage of Saturday's matches will begin at 3:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.