Valdes, Koivun have Auburn in the swing as host Tigers take lead in Auburn Regional

 

   Auburn took its first step toward repeating as the national champion by grabbing an eight-shot lead following the opening round of the Auburn Regional while playing on its home course, the Auburn University Club, as the NCAA men’s regionals teed off all around the country Monday.

   Actually, with rain in the forecast, the Amherst Regional jumped the gun with the first round being played Sunday. The players dodged raindrops Monday at the Poplar Grove Golf Club and completed their second round.

   Despite its loss to Florida in the semifinals in defense of its Southeastern Conference crown at the Sea Island Resort’s Seaside Course on St. Simons Island, Ga., Auburn was ranked No. 1 in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings as it has been for much of the wraparound 2024-2025 season, entering the NCAA regionals.

   With Brendan Valdes, a senior from Orlando, Fla. and No. 6 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), and Jackson Koivun, a sophomore from Chapel Hill, N.C. and No. 2 in the WAGR, sitting at 1-2, respectively, in the individual standings, the Tigers, the top seed, tallied a sparkling 13-under-par 275 over the 7,607-yard, par-72 Auburn University Club layout.

   Valdes tamed his home course with a 7-under 65 while Koivun, winner of both the Fred Haskins and Ben Hogan awards while leading Auburn to its first national championship as a freshman a year ago, was two shots behind his teammate in second place with a 5-under 67.

   UCLA, one of the Big Ten’s new West Wing entries following the demise of the Pac-12, was eight shots behind Auburn in second place with a 5-under 283 total. The Bruins are No. 13 in the Scoreboard rankings and the three seed at Auburn.

   Perennial Atlantic Coast Conference power Georgia Tech, No. 25 in the Scoreboard rankings and the fifth seed, was a shot behind UCLA in third place with a 4-under 284.

   SMU, a relative newcomer to the ACC, was two shots behind the Yellow Jackets in fourth place with a 2-under 286.

   Three teams, Purdue, out of the Big Ten, Texas A&M, another SEC entry, and New Mexico State, a Conference USA representative, were tied for fifth place, each posting an even-par 288.

   The Boilermakers are No. 37 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded seventh. The Aggies of the SEC are No. 12 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second. The upstart Aggies of Conference USA are No. 63 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded 11^th at Auburn.

   The top five finishers in the team chase at each regional will advance to the NCAA Championship, which tees off May 23 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. The top individual from a non-advancing team in each regional will earn a trip to La Costa to compete for an individual NCAA title.

   Leading the way for New Mexico State was Aidan Thomas, a sixth-year player from Albuquerque, N.M. who shared third place in the individual standings with Kennesaw State’s Claes Borregaard, a senior from Denmark, each ending up a shot behind Koivun at 4-under 68. Borregaard is competing as an individual.

   Backing up Valdes and Koivun for Auburn was redshirt senior Carson Bacha, the 2019 PIAA Class AAA champion at Central York who is No. 25 in the WAGR.

   Bacha, who has been an integral part of this remarkable two-year run by Auburn, opened with a 1-under 71 that left him among a large group tied for 10^th place.

   Cayden Pope, a sophomore from Lexington, Ky., was the final counter for the Tigers as he landed in the group tied for 20^th place by matching par with a 72.

   Rounding out the Auburn lineup was Josiah Gilbert, a sophomore from Pratville, Ala. and No. 28 in the WAGR who was in the group tied for 31^st place with a 1-over 73.

   Valdes, Koivun, Bacha and Gilbert were all in the lineup for Auburn in its 3-2 victory over Florida State in the NCAA Championship’s Final Match last spring at La Costa.

   Another player in the group tied for 10^th place at 1-under at Auburn was Loyola of Maryland senior Mike Crowley, winner of the 2023 BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship at Huntingdon Valley Country Club. Crowley is from Hunt Valley, Md.

   The Greyhounds captured the Patriot League title and are in 12^th place in the team chase following an opening-round 300. They are seeded 12^th.

   In the Amherst Regional, Tennessee built on its fast start in Sunday’s opening round to take a two-shot lead over SEC and in-state rival Vanderbilt into the final round at Poplar Grove.

   The Volunteers, No. 30 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth in Amherst, had opened with a sparkling 9-under 271 over the 7,212-yard, par-70 Poplar Grove layout. They cooled off in the rain Monday with a 5-over 285 that left them with a 4-under 556 total.

   Vanderbilt, No. 18 in the Scoreboard rankings and the three seed, added a 1-under 279 in Monday’s second round to its opening round of 2-under 278 that left the Commodores two shots behind Tennessee with a 2-under 558 total.

   Vanderbilt boasted the individual leader as Jackson Van Paris, a sophomore from Pinehurst, N.C. and No. 9 in the WAGR, recorded his second straight 3-under 67 that gave him a two-shot lead over Arizona’s Filip Jakubcik, a junior from the Czech Republic and No. 20 in the WAGR, with a 6-under 134 total.

   Oklahoma, which moved from the Big 12 to the SEC this season, was three shots behind Vanderbilt in third place with a 1-over 561 total. The Sooners, No. 7 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second in Amherst, opened with a solid 4-under 276 before adding a 5-over 285 in Monday’s second round.

   Arizona, behind Jakubcik, was three shots behind Oklahoma in fourth place with a 4-over 864 total as the Wildcats, No. 31 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth, had Monday’s best team score, a 2-under 278, after opening with a 6-over 286.

   Jakubcik had the best individual round of the day Monday as he signed for a sparkling 5-under 65 after opening with a 1-over 71.

   Upstart Florida Gulf Coast, out of the ASUN, was a shot behind Arizona in fifth place with a 5-over 565 total as the Eagles, No. 56 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded 10^th, added a 3-over 283 in Monday’s second round to their opening-round 282.

   The Eagles were led by Nolan Harper, a freshman from St. Augustine, Fla. who had a share of third place with Arkansas’ Mark Stockdale, a sophomore from England, each ending up a shot behind Jakubcik at 3-under 137.

   Harper matched par in Monday’s second round with a 70 after opening with a 3-under 67. Stockdale added a 2-under 68 Monday to his opening-round 69.

   Leading the way for Tennessee was Jackson Herrington, a freshman from Dickson, Tenn. who was among the trio tied for fifth place at 2-under 138 after his second straight 1-under 69.

   Backing up Herrington was Josh Hill, a junior from the United Arab Emirates who was in the group tied for 12^th place at even-par 140 after adding a 2-over 72 in Monday’s second round to his opening round of 2-under 68.

   Lance Simpson, a redshirt junior from Knoxville, Tenn. and No. 41 in the WAGR, was among the trio tied for 20^th place at 1-over 141 as he matched par in Monday’s second round after opening with a 1-over.

   Rounding out the Tennessee lineup was a pair of players, Christian Pardue, a freshman from Arlington, Tenn., and Bruce Murphy, a redshirt sophomore from Atlanta, Ga., who were in the group tied for 23^rd place at 2-over 142.

   Pardue cooled off following an opening round of 4-under 66 with a 6-over 76 in Monday’s second round. Murphy had opened with a 2-under 68 and added a 4-over 74 in Monday’s second round.

   In the Urbana Regional, host Illinois, a perennial Big Ten power, grabbed a two-shot lead over Texas Tech, out of the Big 12, with a 7-under 277 in the opening round at the Atkins Golf Club.

   The Fightin’ Illini, No. 14 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third, were led by Jackson Buchanan, a senior from Dracula, Ga. who ripped off a sizzling 8-under 63 over the 7,533-yard, par-71 Atkins layout to finish four shots clear of the field at the top of the leaderboard in the individual standings.

   Buchanan was a semifinalist in last summer’s U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

   Texas Tech, No. 23 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth, was two shots behind Illinois in second place after opening with a 5-under 279.

   The Red Raiders were led by Calum Scott, a senior from Scotland and No. 29 in the WAGR who was in a tie for third place with Marquette’s Patrick Adler, a senior from Winnetka, Ill., each landing on 3-under 68.

   Scott was a member of the Great Britain & Ireland team that fell to the United States in the Walker Cup Match at the home of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews, two summers ago.

   Mountain West representative UNLV, No. 35 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth, was another two shots behind Texas Tech in third place with a 3-under 281.

   Upstart Troy, a Sun Belt Conference entry, was two shots behind UNLV in fourth place after carding a 1-under 283. The Trojans, No. 51 in the Scoreboard rankings, are seeded ninth.

   Troy was led by Jake Springer, a senior from Tallahassee, Fla. who was Buchanan’s closest pursuer in second place after opening with a solid 4-under 67.

   Big East champion Marquette, behind Adler, was in a tie for fifth place with three-time reigning Big West champion Long Beach State as both recorded a 1-over 285. The Golden Eagles, No. 47 in the Scoreboard rankings, are seeded eighth. The Beach, No. 26 in the Scoreboard rankings, are the five seed.

   Backing up Buchanan for Illinois was Ryan Voois, a junior from Ladera Ranch, Calif. and No. 75 in the WAGR who was among the group tied for 15^th place with a 1-under 70.

   Max Herendeen, a sophomore from Bellevue, Wash. and No. 34 in the WAGR, was a shot behind Voois in the group tied for 19^th place as he matched par in the opening round with a 71.

   Buchanan, Voois and Herendeen were all in the lineup for Illinois in its run to the match-play bracket in last spring’s NCAA Championship at La Costa.

   Jake Birdwell, a freshman from Blaine, Minn., was Illinois’ final counter as he registered a 2-over 73 and was in a tie for 33^rd place.

   Rounding out the Illinois lineup was Ethan Wilson, a sophomore from Canada who opened with a 6-over 77 that left him in a tie for 64^th place.

   In the Reno Regional, the debut of Alabama freshman Nick Gross, the 2021 PIAA Class AAA champion as a sophomore at Downingtown West, in the NCAA regionals was cut short as high winds at Montreux Golf & Country Club forced the suspension of play.

   It was a slow start for the SEC’s Crimson Tide, No. 16 in the Scoreboard rankings and the three seed in Reno, as they were tied for ninth place in the early going at 3-over-par over the 7,550-yard, par-72 Montreux layout.

   Gross, who reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J. a week before his 16^th birthday in 2022, was in a tie for 12^th place at 1-over through seven holes when play was suspended.

   Mississippi State, an SEC rival of Alabama’s, and San Diego, out of the West Coast Conference, shared the early team lead at 3-over. The Bulldogs are No. 28 in the Scoreboard rankings and the three seed in Reno. The Toreros are No. 40 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded seventh.

   San Diego’s Ian Maspat, a senior home boy from San Diego, Calif., had the early individual lead as he was 3-under through eight holes.

   Four teams, ACC champion Virginia, Baylor, out of the Big 12, ACC power Duke and Texas, which joined the SEC after leaving the Big 12, were tied for third place, each sitting at 5-over.

   The Cavaliers are No. 9 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second, Baylor is No. 33 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third, the Blue Devils are No. 21 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth, and the Longhorns are No. 4 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Reno.

   Virginia’s Paul Chang, a senior from China, was Maspat’s closest pursuer in second place at 2-under through seven holes.

   At the Tallahassee Regional, host Florida State behind individual leader Luke Clanton, a junior from Hialeah, Fla. and the No. 1 player in the WAGR who opened with a sizzling 6-under 66 at the Seminole Legacy Golf Club, jumped out to a seven-shot lead over ACC rival Notre Dame.

   The Seminoles, No. 11 in the Scoreboard rankings and the two seed on their home course, opened with a 14-under 274 over the 7,520-yard, par-72 Seminole Legacy layout.

   Notre Dame, No. 39 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded seventh, opened with a solid 7-under 281 and was alone in second place.

   The Fighting Irish were led by Jacob Modleski, a sophomore from Noblesville, Ind. and No. 35 in the WAGR who was in a tie for second place in the individual standings with Georgia’s Buck Brumlow, a senior from Cartersville, Ga. and No. 47 in the WAGR, each ending up a shot behind Clanton with a 4-under 67.

   Modleski fell to Illinois’ Buchanan in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National last summer.

   Also in the lineup for Notre Dame was sophomore Rocco Salvitti, a four-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Pittsburgh Central Catholic who was among the group tied for 25^th place after matching par in the opening round with a 72.

   The SEC’s Mississippi was a shot behind Notre Dame in third place with a 6-under 282 total. Ole Miss, No. 3 in the Scoreboard rankings, is the top seed in Tallahassee.

   A couple of upstarts, reigning three-time Southland Conference champion Augusta and Mountain West Conference representative New Mexico were in a tie for fifth place, three shots behind Ole Miss at 3-under 285.

   The Jaguars, No. 106 in the Scoreboard rankings, are seeded 12^th in Tallahassee. The Lobos, No. 46 in the Scoreboard rankings, are the eight seed.

   Backing up Clanton for Florida State was Tyler Weaver, a sophomore from England and No. 31 in the WAGR who was in a tie for fourth place after opening with a 4-under 68.

   Clanton and Weaver were in the lineup for the Seminoles in their 3-2 loss to Auburn in the NCAA Championship’s Final Match a year ago at La Costa.

   Gray Albright, a graduate student from Ocala, Fla. and No. 53 in the WAGR, and Carson Brewer, a sophomore from Ponte Vedra, Fla., were the final two counters for the Seminoles as each contributed a 2-under 70 and were in a tie for 11^th place.

   Rounding out the Florida State lineup was Jack Bigham, a junior from England and No. 48 in the WAGR who was in a tie for 16^th place with a 1-under 71.

   In the Bremerton Regional, SEC champion Florida, behind individual co-leader Luke Poulter, a sophomore from Orlando, Fla., jumped out to a seven-shot lead at the Gold Mountain Golf Club’s Olympic Course with a 9-under 279.

   The Gators, No. 8 in the Scoreboard rankings, are seeded second at Bremerton.

   Poulter opened with a 4-under 68 over the 7,167-yard, par-72 Olympic Course layout to get a share of the individual lead with Kansas State’s Cooper Schultz, a senior from Andover, Kan.

   The Big 12’s Arizona State, No. 5 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Bremerton, trailed the Gators by seven shots after opening with a 2-under 286.

   Colorado, one of the transplants to the Big 12 in the aftermath of the Pac-12’s demise, was three shots behind Arizona State with a 1-over 289. The Buffalos, No. 32 in the Scoreboard rankings, are seeded sixth.

   American Athletic Conference runnerup South Florida, No. 29 in the Scoreboard rankings and the five seed in Bremerton, and Kansas State, behind Schultz, were in a tie for fourth place, each posting a 2-over 290 that left them a shot behind Colorado. The Wildcats, out of the Big 12, are No. 57 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded 10^th.

   Backing up Poulter for Florida was Matthew Kress, a junior from Saratoga, Calif. who was among a large group tied for third place with a 3-under 69.

   Ian Gilligan, a junior from Reno, Nev. and No. 5 in the WAGR, and Jack Turner, a sophomore from Orlando, Fla. and No. 26 in the WAGR, were the final counters for the Gators as they were in the group tied for ninth place, each signing for a 1-under 71.

   Rounding out the Florida lineup was Zack Swanwick, a freshman from New Zealand who was in a tie for 32^nd place after opening with a 2-over 74. Swanwick picked up the clinching point for the Gators in their victory over Texas A&M in last month’s SEC Championship at Sea Island.

  I'll be keeping track of the regionals this week and I'll round up everything when the dust clears in a post at the end of the week.