OOTLEWAH, Tenn. (EETV) – Starting two true freshmen in their opening tournament for the first time since 2017, Auburn men’s golf finished second behind a splendid performance and second career win from junior Josiah Gilbert.
Auburn as a team finished at five under par and tied with Ben James and Virginia for second place at the Invitational at The Honors Course. Ole Miss won the event at ten under par.
Gilbert tied with Cameron Tankersley of Ole Miss for the top spot at six under par. He opened his season with a lackluster 73 before turning it on in the second round of the day Monday. Gilbert carded a 6-under 66 before finishing off the two day event with a 71 on Tuesday.
The two freshmen that started the event for the Tigers included Logan Reilly and Jake Albert, both of which struggled in their first collegiate golf outing.
Reilly, the number one junior golfer from the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) out of high school, finished at eight over and tied for 43rd individually. He looked in control on Monday during both rounds, but he shot a 41 on the back nine Tuesday, shooting a 5-over 77 and dropping him down the leaderboard.
Albert on the other hand finished at five over par and in a tie for 28th individually. He struggled in the second round Monday as he also shot a rough 41 on the back nine. However he impressed in his other two rounds, dialing in two even-par 72s, including in round 3 to close out the event.
Other performers included sophomore Billy Davis, who had a fine outing for the Tigers, shooting two under par for the event and claimed a share of eighth place himself. Junior Cayden Pope also put in some good numbers for Auburn, finishing in a share of 15th at one over par.
Auburn was without the top ranked amateur golfer in the world, junior Jackson Koivun, who after helping team USA win the Walker Cup last weekend, was busy tearing it up in Napa, California during the Procore Championship.
Koivun inked his highest finish in a PGA Tour event, shooting 16 under par over the four day event and finishing tied for 4th. Koivun was in contention for the win on Sunday, however, the world’s top ranked golfer, Scottie Scheffler, took home the trophy.
The Tigers will get Koivun back for the Ben Hogan Collegiate in a couple weeks time as they will travel to Fort Worth, Texas to take on some of the best teams in the country at Colonial Country Club. The event will be held from Monday, Sept. 29 until Tuesday, Sept. 30.
