AUBURN, Ala. – No. 1 Auburn men’s golf is back in action as the Tigers look for two straight titles this weekend, March 16-18, at the General James Hackler Championship at The Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
“We’re excited to be back in action,” head coach Nick Clinard said. “The Dunes Club is a fabulous venue that we’ve played before and had success on. This week is another opportunity for us to show continuous improvement and that we’re hungry for a win each time we step out on the course.”
Auburn opens the first round paired with No. 19 Duke and Wake Forest. Ryan Eshleman will get things started off the first tee at 8 a.m. CT.
Also in the field this week are RV Louisville, Baylor, College of Charleston, Furman, High Point, Kent State, Liberty, Missouri, NC State, Nevada, North Florida and host Coastal Carolina.
Suiting up for the Orange & Blue are Eshleman, Carson Bacha, Josiah Gilbert, Jackson Koivun, Brendan Valdes and Cayden Pope. Pope will play as the individual for all 54 holes.
This week, the Tigers look to make it two straight tournament victories after capturing top honors at the Southern Highlands Collegiate two weeks ago in Las Vegas. Thanks to solid individual performances from Bacha, Gilbert, Valdes and Eshleman, Auburn earned a commanding 10-shot victory. Bacha was named SEC Golfer of the Week after becoming the Tigers’ low scorer for the third consecutive event. He shot 7-under and missed out on low medalist by just two strokes.
In Vegas, Gilbert and Valdes also earned top-five placements at 3-under and 2-under, respectively. Eshleman shot 3-over to finish in a tie for 12th.
Auburn last competed in the Hackler in the spring of 2023, when it finished third at 15-under. The year prior, the Tigers won at 25-under.
Valdes has played in the tournament twice prior, the most of anyone on the roster. He shot 1-over in 2022 to finish just outside the top 30 but redeemed himself with a tied for eighth, 6-under showing in 2023.
Bacha and Eshleman have also competed in the event before. Two years ago, Bacha carded an even-par 216, and Eshleman shot 11-over 227.
Live scoring for the duration of the 2025 Hackler Championship can be found at golfstat.com.