AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn men’s golf’s Carson Bacha, Josiah Gilbert, Jackson Koivun and Brendan Valdes were named to Golfweek’s Men’s College All-America Team, the publication announced Wednesday.
Koivun and Valdes were named to the first team. Bacha and Gilbert earned second team honors.
After being named PING First Team All-Americans a week ago, Koivun and Valdes complete the sweep with Golfweek’s First Team honors.
One of the nation’s premier players, Koivun, built off an unprecedented freshman campaign with another strong run as a sophomore. The Chapel Hill, North Carolina native picked up 11 top-20 finishes in 13 starts, including wins at the Inverness Intercollegiate, SEC Championship and NCAA Auburn Regional. After becoming the first man in 49 years to earn low medalist in back-to-back SEC championships, Koivun was named SEC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Koivun earned his PGA Tour Card through PGA Tour University’s Accelerated program following last week’s NCAA Championship. He will defer his membership and return to Auburn for his junior season this fall.
In his final season as a Tiger, Valdes averaged 70.05 strokes per round and finished inside the top 20 in all but one start. He earned his third career win in March at the General Hackler Championship. Valdes leaves Auburn as the program’s all-time record holder in birdies (558), top 10s (25), subpar rounds (81) and sub-70 rounds (57).
Bacha also had a career year as a senior. The York, Pennsylvania native was the only Tiger to appear in all 14 team events, finishing top 10 in half and averaging 70.37 strokes per round. He concluded the season earning a top 15 in four of his final five tournaments, including a T3rd at the SEC Championship and fourth at the NCAA Auburn Regional.
Gilbert, another consistent force in the Orange & Blue lineup, pieced together a solid sophomore season from start to finish. He began the year with his first career win at the Valero Texas Collegiate and followed it up with five consecutive top 15s. In Auburn’s three postseason events, he never placed higher than T18th. Gilbert was also crucial in the Tigers’ SEC quarterfinal win over No. 3 Texas as he defeated WAGR No. 8 Christiaan Maas 1-UP.