CARLSBAD, Calif. | Auburn entered Tuesday's match play hoping to recreate the magic that helped the Tigers to their first national title in men's golf last season. Nick Clinard's squad was facing a familiar opponent, Virginia, just as they had last May in the same round on the same course, Omni La Costa.
This year, though, it was the Cavaliers who bested the top-ranked Tigers.
Despite the loss, Clinard reflected on what his team had achieved throughout the season.
"It was a great year," he said. "We're going finish number one in the national rankings. We set the SEC championship records in stroke play, won by nine shots. We go to the NCAA regionals and win by 27 shots to win three regionals in a row and come here and finish second in the national championship in stroke play and lose a close match today. It's just an incredible year. Won five times and we had 19 losses on the year and 185 wins or something like that. So nothing to hold our heads over."
Jackson Koivun put Auburn on the board first, defeating Josh Duangmanee 3&2 a day after receiving his PGA Tour card after earning the 20th point needed in the PGA Tour U Accelerate program.
Cayden Pope, in the leadoff position, trailed 3-up going into the 14th hole but won No. 15, 17 and 18 to win the other point for the Tigers.
One up by two holes on the front nine, Carson Bacha found himself tied with Ben James after No. 12. The senior went on to lose the next two holes, never able to make it up as he lost 2&1 in his final match for Auburn.
Brendan Valdes found himself on the wrong end of a barrage by the Cavaliers' Paul Chang, who won four of the five holes from No. 12-15 to take the match 5&3. Josiah Gilbert could never get an advantage on Bryan Lee, losing 4&3.
Clinard knows what the expectations are now for Auburn, and not meeting them leaves a sour taste.
"I think we're at a point in this program where if we don't win a national championship, it's disappointing, but that's tough," he said. "It's tough, but I feel bad for the seniors. They just didn't play very well today, but so is golf, and the sun will come up tomorrow, and they'll move on to their lifelong journeys, and they're going to be great."
