AUBURN, Ala. – Postseason competition begins this week for the nation’s top-ranked men’s golf team as the No. 1 Tigers are ready to tee off in the NCAA Athens Regional, set for May 18-20 at the University of Georgia Golf Course.
“It’s a blessing and a privilege to be the national No. 1 seed for three years in a row, but at the end of the day, when we tee off, that doesn’t mean a whole lot,” head coach Nick Clinard said. “We’ve got to be ready to attack a golf course we’ve never seen before. This group has a goal to win every time we compete, so that’s no different this week. We’re here to represent Auburn and secure our place in California.”
The regional serves as a qualifier for the 2026 NCAA Championship, as the top five teams in all six host sites will punch their tickets to the sport's biggest stage and compete for a national championship May 29 -June 3 at the Omni La Costa Champions Course in Carlsbad, California.
Auburn tees off the first round of its regional alongside No. 12 Illinois and No. 13 Vanderbilt at 7 a.m. CT off hole 1. Groups will be sent off in 11-minute intervals.
Representing the Orange & Blue is the same crew that led the program to a Southeastern Conference Championship semifinal appearance two weeks ago.
Highlighted by the 2026 SEC Golfer of the Year, junior Jackson Koivun, Auburn rolls out a five-man lineup made entirely of All-Conference performers for regionals. Joining Koivun are First Team All-SEC player Josiah Gilbert, second teamers Jake Albert and Cayden Pope and All-Freshman Team selection Logan Reilly.
Sophomore Billy Davis will remain the Tigers' sixth, reserve player. Postseason rules allow for the free substitution of any two players following the completion of a round.
This week marks Auburn's 36th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. In their previous 15 regional appearances under Clinard, the Tigers have advanced to the NCAA Championship 12 times, including the last four years in a row. Auburn has won its regional on five occasions — 1990, 1997, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Last spring, Auburn punched its ticket to Nationals in style via a dominant performance on its home track, the Auburn University Club. Led by low medalist Koivun, the Tigers shot 32-under to win the event by 27 strokes, securing the second-largest margin of victory in NCAA Regionals history.
To secure a trip back to California, Auburn needs to outplay a field that consists of No. 12 Illinois, No. 13 Vanderbilt, No. 24 BYU, RV Georgia (host), Louisville, Kansas, Northwestern, College of Charleston, Rice, Southern Miss, Harvard and Howard.
Auburn has already faced six of its regional opponents in stroke play competition this season and boasts an 11-2 record against those teams.
For all things NCAA Athens Regional, visit scoreboard.clippd.com.