CARLSBAD, Calif. | During last week's NCAA Regional and now at the NCAA Championships, Nick Clinard has regularly said that he needed more from his four and five golfers for No. 1 Auburn to make a run at a repeat.
On Saturday at Omni La Costa, Cayden Pope took that message to heart, firing a three-under 69 to help lead the Tigers to a -6 on the day and -8 in the tournament.
"I just can't be more proud of him," Clinard said. "He's a great player. He's arguably our best ball striker on the team. And if he makes putts, watch out because he can flat-out hit it."
The sophomore rebounded from a disappointing 77 (+5) during the championships' first day, but the day didn't start out easy. Pope bogeyed No. 4 but answered with back-to-back birdies on 5 and 6. After parring the next two, he was back on the birdie train with back-to-back on No. 9 and 10.
A bogey on the par-3 16th stopped his momentum for a moment, but he finished with a birdie on 18, hitting a chip shot to within one foot to finish his round in style.
As the first player off for the Tigers, Pope knows his job is to get things rolling for him and his teammates.
"I always want to set a tone for those guys going out first, show the course can be got, and hopefully I did that for him today," he said.
The Tigers also answered the call of their head coach, who was not pleased with how they played on the first day. Clinard credited his team for taking advantage of the early morning tee time.
"We played great," he said. "I mean, it played tough out there. That back nine is tough. The front nine's easier, and we got it out there when it was a little softer and no wind."
Brendan Valdes and Jackson Koivun continued to shoot under par, finishing with a two-under 70. Valdes posted three birdies, including on 18, with his only blemish coming on 10. Koivun started his round with two straight birdies and made par on every hole until No. 14, where he bogeyed. The sophomore answered with a birdie on 17 while barely missing another on 18.
Clinard, who walks with Koivun during each round, explained how tough the 14th hole was playing.
"I mean, 14th hole, 520 (yards) into the wind," he said. "And we had a mud ball out there on 14."
Carson Bacha finished with a 73 (+1), while Josiah Gilbert struggled with a 75 (+3).
The Tigers currently sit third behind Arizona State and Oklahoma and will likely have the earliest tee time on Sunday alongside the Sun Devils and Sooners. Getting out in the early morning again is just fine with Clinard.
"It's a big advantage to get out there early," he said." We'll get some rest this afternoon. I think the guy's ready to take a nap, get something to eat, and then we'll get ready to roll tomorrow."
