CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA – Auburn edged Florida State, 3-2, winning the team national championship for the first time in school history on the North Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa (7,538 yards/par 72). The tournament championship for Auburn was the 10th of the season for the Tigers, with seven coming consecutively.
With both teams vying for the first team national championship in school history, it came down to the fifth match of the day between Auburn senior J.M. Butler and Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton. Butler never trailed in the close match and clinched the national championship on hole No. 17 as both he and Clanton had pars. Clanton came close to chipping in for birdie on the hole, but his chip shot from off the green hit the cup and bounced away. Butler then lagged a putt within inches of the cup as the match was conceded, with Butler winning 2&1.
“I was just focused on what I had to do,” said Butler. “I tried not to get caught up in what he was doing. Luke (Clanton) is a fantastic player and I knew it’d be a tough match today. It’s something I’ve trained for my entire life. All those lonely hours out on the range and just trying to figure it out. All I had to do was get out of my own way. I just believed it was my destiny. I always knew I was going to work as hard as I can every single day. It didn’t matter what was in front of me as long as I had my teammates, that was all I needed.”
“All five of us out there playing today was a goal we were looking for over the last 364 days,” said Clanton. “To fall just short is really hard to handle, especially with the guys who are leaving. Those guys are brothers to me. I really wanted to give them a national championship. It’s a little hard to think about that right now. Making it to the championship match against a great team as well was awesome. It’s just hard to see those guys leave without a ring on their finger. I promise you this, we’ll win next year.”
Auburn, which had never advanced beyond semifinal match play, improved to 4-1 all-time in NCAA Championship match play with the three wins over the last two days.
“It doesn’t even feel real,” said Auburn head coach Nick Clinard on winning the national championship. “We worked so hard for this, and I have some great young men. I am so happy for them. It’s not about me, it’s about these kids right here. It’s about my coaching staff. It’s about the Auburn family. It’s about Auburn University. And we are bringing one home to Auburn. The culture, locker room, the connectivity, the vision. They have a shared vision that equals a greater purpose. They are so connected. They hang out together, practice together, work out together, challenge each other, push each other, encourage each other, and inspire each other. Ten wins (on the season). I told them before we got here if they won this golf tournament, they could go down as one of the best golf teams in the history of college golf.”
Florida State claimed wins in the first two matches of the day with Cole Anderson defeating Carson Bacha, 1 Up, and at No. 2 with Tyler Weaver prevailing 2&1 over Josiah Gilbert.
Auburn freshman sensation Jackson Koivun improved to 3-0 in match play at the 2024 championship, breaking away from a tie after three holes to close out Brett Roberts of Florida State, 5&4 and put the first point on the board for Auburn. Koivun, the 2024 Fred Haskins Award winner as the national player of the year, had on Tuesday sent Auburn to the national championship match by sinking a five-foot birdie put on the 21st hole to defeat Ohio State, 3-2. The Tigers second point in the match came from junior Brendan Valdes, who rolled to a 4&3 win over Frederik Kjettrup of Florida State.
“It’s definitely a little more stressful watching golf,” said Koivun. “Not that I wasn’t stressed playing extras, yesterday. It was great to get the first point and trust the boys to do what they need to do. It is indescribable. It’s awesome. It has been a great year and we are looking to come back next year even stronger.”
Auburn recorded its 10th tournament victory of the 2023-24 season. The Tigers closed the year by winning their final seven tournaments. The streak included wins at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate, the Tiger Invitational, the Seahawk Intercollegiate, the Mossy Oak Collegiate, the SEC Championship, the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional and the NCAA Championship.
“There’s no words for it, you can’t say ‘I’ve been there before’ or ‘it will be okay,’ they don’t want to hear that,” said Florida State head coach Trey Jones. “You only get so many chances at a national championship. You’re very fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to win one, but it didn’t go our way. They are hard to win, and golf is hard. It’s a game if you win two or three times on the PGA Tour, you’ve had an incredible year. It just didn’t go our way today. This group of seniors just finished fifth, 20th, third and second. There’s not a whole lot of classes in the history of college golf that have had a better run. And we will definitely reflect on that.”
TEAM MATCH PLAY RESULTS and SCHEDULE
National Championship – May 29
#6 Auburn def. #5 Florida State, 3-2
- Cole Anderson (Florida State) def. Carson Bacha (Auburn), 1 Up
- Tyler Weaver (Florida State) def Josiah Gilbert (Auburn), 2&1
- Jackson Koivun (Auburn) def. Brett Roberts (Florida State), 5&4
- Brendan Valdes (Auburn), def. Frederik Kjettrup (Florida State), 4&3
- J.M. Butler (Auburn) def. Luke Clanton (Florida State), 2&1
Semifinal Match Play Results – May 28
#5 Florida State def. #8 Georgia Tech, 3-2
- Bartley Forrester (Georgia Tech) def. Cole Anderson (Lorida State), 3&2
- Tyler Weaver (Florida State) def Kale Fontenot (Georgia Tech), 19 Holes
- Luke Clanton (Florida State) def. Christo Lamprecht (Georgia Tech), 2&1
- Carson Kim (Georgia Tech) def. Gray Albright (Florida State), 4&2
- Frederik Kjettrup (Florida State) def. Hiroshi Tai (Georgia Tech), 3&1
#6 Auburn def. #7 Ohio State, 3-2
- Maxwell Moldovan (Ohio State) def. Carson Bacha (Auburn), 1 Up
- Brendan Valdes (Auburn) def. Jackson Chandler (Ohio State), 1 Up
- Tyler Sabo (Ohio State) def. Josiah Gilbert (Auburn), 1 Up
- Jackson Koivun (Auburn) def Adam Wallin (Ohio State), 21 Holes
- J.M. Butler (Auburn) def. Neal Shipley (Ohio State), 2&1
Quarterfinal Match Results – May 28
#8 Georgia Tech def. #1 Illinois, 3-1
- Bartley Forrester (Georgia Tech) def. Tyler Goecke (Illinois), 3&1
- Jackson Buchanan (Illinois) vs. Kale Fontenot (Georgia Tech), Unfinished
- Max Herendeen (Illinois) def. Carson Kim (Georgia Tech), 5&4
- Aidan Tran (Georgia Tech) def. Piercen Hunt (Illinois), 3&2
- Hiroshi Tai (Georgia Tech), def. Ryan Voois (Illinois), 3&2
#5 Florida State def. #4 North Carolina, 3-1
- Dylan Menante (North Carolina) vs. Cole Anderson (Florida State), 2&1
- Brett Roberts (Florida State) def. Peter Fountain (North Carolina), 2&1
- Luke Clanton (Florida State) def. Austin Greaser (North Carolina), 2&1
- Tyler Weaver (Florida State) def. David Ford (North Carolina), 3&2
- Maxwell Ford (North Carolina) vs. Frederik Kjettrup (Florida State), Unfinished
#7 Ohio State def. #2 Vanderbilt, 3-1
- Jackson Chandler (Ohio State) def. Jackson Van Paris (Vanderbilt), 3&2
- Cole Sherwood (Vanderbilt) def. Maxwell Moldovan (Ohio State), 3&2
- Neal Shipley (Ohio State) def. Matthew Riedel (Vanderbilt), 4&2
- Adam Wallin (Ohio State) def. Gordon Sargent (Vanderbilt), 19 Holes
- William Moll (Vanderbilt) vs. Tyler Sabo (Ohio State), Unfinished
#6 Auburn def. #3 Virginia, 3-1
- Carson Bacha (Auburn) def. Josh Duangmanee (Virginia), 2&1
- George Duangmanee (Virginia) def. Brendan Valdes (Auburn), 2&1
- Josiah Gilbert (Auburn), def. Bryan Lee (Virginia), 2&1
- Jackson Koivun (Auburn) def. Deven Patel (Virginia), 1 Up
- Ben James (Virginia) vs. J.M. Butler (Auburn), Unfinished