Auburn's Josiah Gilbert represents USA in Walker Cup

AUBURN, Ala. – Josiah Gilbert didn’t even need a night to sleep on it. When Auburn called, he answered. 

“I was rock set on Auburn from day one,” he said. “I committed the day I got my offer.”

Gilbert’s signing class included Jackson Koivun and Cayden Pope. When that Tiger trio signed on Nov. 9, 2022, not even the most optimistic outlook could’ve envisioned the success that has followed, including national championships in 2024 and 2026. 

Ranked No. 6 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Gilbert’s next adventure takes him to Ireland this weekend for the 51st Walker Cup, nearly two years after he switched from Australia to the U.S. when competing internationally.

“I switched my flag over to represent the United States officially,” said Gilbert, a dual citizen of the U.S., where both of his parents were born, and Australia, where he was born. “It was a big goal to be able to make that team this year.

“It’s a byproduct of the work we’ve put in. It’s cool to look back on that work and appreciate how far you’ve come and relish the opportunity. You don’t think about it too much in the moment. You just try to beat whoever you’re playing against.” 

At age 17, Gilbert moved to Millbrook, Alabama, for his senior year of high school when his father, Jeremy Gilbert, became the Director of Instruction at Capitol Hill in Prattville. Five years later, Josiah is a two-time NCAA champion and an SEC champion. 

“It’s something you don’t really expect,” Gilbert said. “Not many teams win one national championship in four years and almost none of them win two. To do it in the SEC as well is pretty cool. It’s head down, work, and then you look up afterward and realize everything that’s happened over the last three years is insane.”

Along with fellow senior Pope, Gilbert leads the Tigers on the charge for a third national championship in 2027, acknowledging the challenge of competing without Koivun, who’s now on the PGA Tour. 

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for us to step us as leaders,” Gilbert said. “We all know we’ve got to play good golf. We’ve got a big gun that’s missing. I think Logan (Reilly) is really stepping into that role very well, especially over the summer. We know we’re good enough. It’s going to take a team effort, focusing on playing good golf and let the rest take care of itself.”

After his Auburn career, Gilbert aspires to rejoin his former teammate in the big leagues.

“I want to be a PGA Tour player,” he said. “I believe it’s only a matter of time before that happens. I want to be ready when my time comes.”

Besides all the winning, Gilbert appreciates the friendships and fellowship he’s developed with Auburn golf.

“Our culture,” he said. “We’re super, super close. The friends I’ve made for life already and I’m going to continue to make. We’re one big happy family, and then we get to play golf and compete with each other, which brings us together even more.”

The Walker Cup’s match play format appeals to Gilbert’s competitiveness.

“I think stroke play decides the best player over the week,” he said, “because you do have to get a little bit lucky in match play, but I do think match play is the most pure form of competitiveness in golf because it’s just you against one other person, which is very similar to a lot of other sports.”

A point guard at Stanhope Elmore High School as a senior, Gilbert’s basketball experience pays off in match play.

“Logan would attribute to that as well,” Gilbert said. “His brother plays basketball at JMU (James Madison University), he grew up playing a lot as well. Having that experience in a sport other than the stroke play format of golf is very helpful to lean back on, especially in pressure situations.”

An All-American and All-SEC honoree who finished third in stroke play to lead Auburn at the 2026 NCAA Championship, Gilbert takes a long-term approach to his career. 

“You have to find your blueprint and your individual plan for what makes you tick,” he said. “I like to get my work done then do things outside of golf, whether that’s fishing or basketball, or taking care of my body. That’s what makes me go, it’s what makes me get up the next day. Having an outlet outside of golf but making sure you get your work done every day as well. I can’t grind every day. 

“I want to be able to play professionally until I’m 45 or 50, hopefully have a family to watch me compete playing golf. I think you can only do that by taking care of yourself.”

The oldest of five siblings, Gilbert credits his family’s support for helping him become one of the world’s best amateur golfers. For the past three years, the Gilberts have traveled from Millbrook, Alabama, to Southern California in an RV to walk with the course with Josiah each round of the 2024-26 NCAA Championships. 

“I’ve got a family who supports me and loves me better than I could ever imagine, and that’s the only reason I’m sitting here,” Gilbert said. “They’ve sacrificed way too much for me to even describe over my entire life, and they continue to do so. I’m extremely blessed and grateful for it and hopefully I can put on a show for them whenever they’re able to do it.”

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer