Auburn golf has solid showing in opening round of NCAA Championships
Auburn golf has solid showing in opening round of NCAA Championships Brendan Valdes, Jackson Koivun, and company finished their opening rounds a collective 2-under par at Omni La Costa.
The Auburn golf team may not have flashed the dominance it did in the Regional Round of the NCAA Tournament, but the Tigers started their bid for back-to-back NCAA Championships in solid fashion on Friday. Brendan Valdes, Jackson Koivun, and company finished their opening rounds a collective 2-under par at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California. The score placed the Tigers within the top five programs on the leaderboard entering the weekend.
Valdes (-3) was the best Tiger of the opening round, as the senior from Orlando was a magician with his putter throughout the day, knocking home 5 birdie putts on his way to a team-best 69 scorecard. Jackson Koivun was nearly as impressive, but an unfortunate double bogey on the par-4 No. 15 hole, a hole which Valdes birdied, spoiled an otherwise great round for the sophomore.
Fellow sophomore Josiah Gilbert finished with the same score (-1) as Koivun, albeit in much calmer fashion. While the SEC Golfer of the Year's scorecard, specifically on the back nine, lit up like a Christmas tree thanks to 5 birdies, 2 bogeys, and a double bogey, Gilbert simply hum-hoed his way to 15 pars. After an uncharacteristic bogey on the par-5 No. 2 hole, Gilbert finished his round with 2 birdies and 14 pars on his final 16 holes.
Freshman Cayden Pope (+5) and redshirt senior Carson Bacha (+3) did not fair nearly as well in their opening rounds. Pope, who was the first Tiger to tee off on Friday, managed just 2 birdies in an attempt to offset 4 bogeys and a double bogey. Bacha, who notoriously starts his tournaments slow, didn't manage a single birdie during his round which featured 15 pars and 3 bogeys.
The Tigers collective score of 2-under par put them in a tie for fifth place on the leaderboard with a a pair of other teams. Oklahoma (-8) led the way after day one, while last year's national runner-up Florida State (-3), finished in a tie for second place with Florida and Texas. Arizona State and Illinois finished tied with Auburn at 2-under par.
Friday's result put Auburn in prime position to reach Monday's final round of group play, where the top 15 teams on the leaderboard will battle it out for the final eight spots in the Quarterfinal Match Play round on Tuesday.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter@TheRealBHauch
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
How to Watch Arizona vs North Carolina: Live Stream College Baseball Super Regionals, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Super Regionals in college baseball have arrived. In the day's first matchup on Friday, Arizona and UNC meet in the Chapel Hill Regional, looking to get off to a good start. The super regionals are a best-of-three series. Game 2 will be played on Saturday, and if necessary, Game 3 will be held on Sunday. Mason White #24 of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates with Aaron Walton #11 after a two run home run in the first inning against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Astros Foundation College Classic at Daikin... Mason White #24 of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates with Aaron Walton #11 after a two run home run in the first inning against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Astros Foundation College Classic at Daikin Park on March 01, 2025, in Houston, Texas. More Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images How to Watch Arizona vs North Carolina Date: Friday, June 6, 2025 Time: 12:00 PM ET Channel: ESPN2 Stream: Fubo (Try for free) After winning the ACC Tournament in consecutive games, the Tar Heels earned the No. 5 national seed and hosted the Chapel Hill Regional. They took down Holy Cross in the first game of the regional, before matching up in the second game with Oklahoma. They dominated in the win and faced off against Oklahoma the next day, but lost. In a win-or-go-home game of the regional, the Tar Heels took down Oklahoma for a second time. Gavin Gallaher was named the MVP of the Chapel Hill Regional after going 8-for-13 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in the four games for the team. The Wildcats have won their last eight games. They won the Big 12 Tournament with three straight wins. They beat BYU, 4-1, followed by a dominant 12-1 win over West Virginia. In the championship game, they took down TCU 2-1. They entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Eugene Regional and beat Cal Poly in the first game, 3-2, followed by a 14-4 win over Utah State to qualify for the championship game. They turned around and beat Cal Poly a second time to win the regional. Mason White was the regional MVP. On the season, White has 19 home runs and 70 RBIs. Live stream the Arizona vs UNC game on Fubo: Start your free trial now! Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Ex-Auburn tight end Sal Cannella earns postseason nod from UFL
Ex-Auburn tight end Sal Cannella earns postseason nod from UFL Cannella had a great season in Arlington, which led him to receive an all-league honor. Earlier this week the United Football League announced their All-UFL Team that featured a former Auburn Tiger. Arlington Renegades tight end Sal Cannella was named to the team after the productive season. The team was selected by executives, coaches, and broadcasters. It is the second time he has been awarded an honor like this one. In 2022, he was named to the All-USFL Team when he played for the New Orleans Breakers. Cannella finished sixth in the UFL with 474 yards and one touchdown. He was also second in the league with 44 receptions. The Renegades ended their season on Sunday with a 23-6 win over the San Antonio Brahmas. They ended the season with a 5-5 record and missed the playoffs. Canella had five receptions for 86 yards in the finale. Cannella played for the Auburn Tigers from 2017 to 2019 after transferring from Scottsdale Community College. During his time at Auburn, he caught 25 passes for 330 yards and five touchdowns. He was impressive when he had the ball. His head coach was Gus Malzahn, who was not known to feature tight ends often in the passing game. He scored a touchdown for Auburn in the 2019 Iron Bowl. That was a game the Tigers won 48-45. After leaving the Tigers, Cannella bounced around leagues and teams. He has spent time on the practice squads or off-season rosters for the Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has played for Arlington since the 2023 XFL season before the merger with the USFL. The Renegades won the XFL Championship in 2023. He led the UFL in receiving touchdowns in 2024 with six.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Reports: Veteran LSU baseball outfielder enters transfer portal
Reports: Veteran LSU baseball outfielder enters transfer portal Recent reports say LSU baseball's Mic Paul entered the transfer portal ahead of the team's super regional series against West Virginia. The redshirt sophomore outfielder made 25 appearances in 2025, mostly as a defensive replacement late in games. He recorded eight at-bats, six runs, four walks, and two hits. As a freshman, he played in 12 games. Paul received a medical redshirt for the 2024 season and returned as a minor contributor this season. Although he put together consistent at-bats during his few trips to the plate, he couldn't claim a starting role over starters Derek Curiel, Chris Stanfield and Jake Brown. As a part of the 2022 recruiting class, Paul ranked as Utah's top outfielder and No. 69 overall at his position by Perfect Game. Despite coming into LSU as a highly-touted prospect, Paul couldn't establish himself as a contributor through his two active seasons donning the purple and gold. Paul is not the first Tiger to enter the portal. He joins David Hogg and Ryan Costello, among others. LSU baseball's super regional series vs. West Virginia will begin on Saturday.
