The Auburn Tigers men's golf team returned to competition earlier this week in Fort Worth, Texas, at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational.
The Tigers got off to a rough start, finishing the opening round at 16-over par. However, they showed resilience by bouncing back with a strong second round of three-under and closing at five-over in the final round. Despite the recovery, Auburn ended the tournament tied for eighth place with Texas Tech.
Individually, Juniors Jackson Koivun and Cayden Pope led the way, tying for 17th after finishing three-over par. Freshman Jake Albert placed 42nd at eight-over, while Junior Josiah Gilbert tied for 48th at ten-over.
The overall leaderboard was stacked with talent, featuring ranked programs including Texas (5), Vanderbilt (6), Virginia (8), and North Carolina (14). While Auburn didn’t secure a podium finish, the Tigers impressed by outperforming two top-ten teams: Arizona State (2) and Oklahoma (7). Their ability to rebound from a tough start and compete with elite programs was a positive sign moving forward.
Head coach Nick Clinard and his squad will now look to carry that momentum into their next challenge. Auburn’s schedule resumes in three weeks at the William Cup, held at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, North Carolina. With Koivun, Pope, Albert, and Gilbert continuing to gain experience, the Tigers will aim to tighten consistency across all rounds and position themselves for a stronger overall showing.
While the Ben Hogan Invitational highlighted areas to improve, it also confirmed Auburn’s ability to contend against some of the nation’s best.
