BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The hottest player in college golf officially cemented himself as the best the Southeastern Conference has ever seen as Auburn’s Jackson Koivun was named the league’s Player of the Year for the third consecutive season, becoming the first man in history to do so.
Overall, the Tigers secured eight awards from the SEC, highlighted by Koivun’s achievement and rookie Jake Albert taking home Freshman of the Year. It’s the first time since 2010 that both Player and Freshman of the Year went to different men from the same school (Russell Henley + Bryden MacPherson, Georgia).
Koivun made First Team All-SEC for the third time in his career with ease. With six wins in eight starts since February, the junior is on a nearly unprecedented tear in college golf. This season, he averages a minuscule 67.88 strokes per round, over a whole stroke better than the program’s current single-season record, which he set last season.
In 37 career appearances, Koivun has earned 32 top 10s (.865) and 26 top fives (.703). He’s won more times (11) than he’s finished outside the top 10.
Two weeks ago, at the SEC Championship, Koivun pulled off the hat trick, winning low medalist for the third straight year, a feat only accomplished once prior and not since 1967 (B.R. McLendon, LSU).
For the third year in a row, two Tigers were named to the conference’s first team as junior Josiah Gilbert joined Koivun amongst the SEC’s premier players. Gilbert appears on the first team for the first time in his career after earning Second Team last year and All-Freshman Team in 2024.
In 12 starts this season, Gilbert locked up six top 20s, four top 10s and a pair of wins, which came at The Honors Course Invitational and The Clerico.
Named Second Team All-SEC players were Freshman of the Year Albert and junior teammate Cayden Pope. Both men join Gilbert as the only players to start in every tournament this season.
When the calendar turned to 2026, Albert really hit his stride, earning six top 20s and three top fives, all of which have come since February. As the No. 36 player in the nation, Albert ranks 50 spots higher than the league’s next freshman, making himself the clear choice for Rookie of the Year.
In his third season on The Plains, Pope averages 70.50 strokes per round, the second-best mark on the roster. This year, he’s taken his game to another level, earning eight top 20s and three top 10s while carding 22 rounds at par or better. Pope’s best finish was a runner-up performance at the Amer Ari Invitational in Hawai’i, where he shot an eye-popping 20-under-par.
Pope is a first-time All-SEC honoree.
Finally, appearing on the All-Freshman Team were none other than Albert and Logan Reilly. Reilly is another player who has hit the gas at the right time with six top 30s in his last six starts. At the SEC Championship, Reilly was the lone Tiger to go undefeated in match play. He won a gutsy 19-hole duel with South Carolina’s Marek Fleming in the quarterfinals before taking care of business against Ole Miss’ Daniel Tolf with a 2&1 win in the semis.
All SEC end-of-year awards are determined by a vote from the league’s 16 head coaches.
No. 1 Auburn begins its postseason journey May 18-20 at the NCAA Athens Regional, a qualifier to the NCAA Championship, which is set for May 27 – June 3 at the Omni LaCosta Champions Course in Carlsbad, California.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jackson Koivun, Auburn
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Jake Albert, Auburn
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Matt Comegys, Texas
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Wells Williams, Vanderbilt
COACH OF THE YEAR
Chris Malloy, Ole Miss
FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC
Jackson Koivun, Auburn (SEC Championship Individual Medalist)
Ryder Cowan, Oklahoma
Tom Fischer, Ole Miss
William Jennings, Alabama
Christiaan Maas, Texas
Jack Turner, Florida
Frankie Harris, South Carolina
Wells Williams, Vanderbilt
Josiah Gilbert, Auburn
Jase Summy, Oklahoma
SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC
Gerardo Gomez, Arkansas
Luke Potter, Texas
Daniel Bennett, Texas
Luke Poulter, Florida
Lance Simpson, Tennessee
Erich Fortlage, Arkansas
Cayden Pope, Auburn
Jake Albert, Auburn
Matthew Kress, Florida
Cameron Tankersley, Ole Miss
Tommy Morrison, Texas
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Jake Albert, Auburn
Logan Reilly, Auburn
Shiv Parmar, Texas A&M
Jon Ed Steed, Vanderbilt
Dan Hayes, LSU