Auburn starts fast at the NCAA Championships

The top-ranked Tigers on Friday showed that they mean business in California.

Auburn finished the first round of stroke play at 4-under and in second place.

A record-setting round appeared to be a possibility early Friday when coach Nick Clinard’s team opened 5-under through the first three holes. That was a curious development considering how slowly Auburn started during all three days of the Athens Regional last week.

Still, the fast start Friday didn’t hold. A pair of double bogeys — one from Logan Reilly and one from Josiah Gilbert — were significant setbacks on the front nine holes. Auburn nonetheless settled down on the back nine, posting five birdies, three bogeys and zero double bogeys.

Gilbert rebounded from his double bogey and notched a team-best six birdies. He finished at 2-under for the day. Jackson Koivun, recently named the nation’s top amateur golfer for the second time in his career, led the way with a 2-under 70.

Auburn resumes play Saturday at 8:30 a.m. CDT. The top 15 teams through three rounds advance to a final round of stroke play on Monday. The top eight teams from that Monday round advance to match play beginning Tuesday.

The Tigers won the national title in 2024 and finished tied for fifth place last season.

AUBURN’S FIRST-ROUND SCORES

Jackson Koivun 70 (-2)

Josiah Gilbert 70 (-2)

Logan Reilly 71 (-1)

Jake Albert 73 (+1)

Cayden Pope 77 (+5) **SCORE NOT USED**

TEAM LEADERS THROUGH ONE ROUND

UCLA -8

Auburn -4

Pepperdine -3

Duke/San Diego -2

Oklahoma/Texas/Arizona -1

Arkansas/Virginia/Vanderbilt E

(18 teams at +1 or worse)