Nick Gross, the best scholastic golfer in Pennsylvania during a standout career at Downingtown West, returned to the Alabama lineup for the first time since last September in The Hoyt, which wrapped up Monday at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Gross, a sophomore, had been in the lineup for the Crimson Tide in every event during his freshman year. He helped Alabama capture the team title in the Folds of Honor Collegiate in the opener of the wraparound 2025-2026 season at American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Mich.
Gross was not in the lineup for the rest of the fall and for Alabama’s first tournament of the spring, last month’s Watersound Invitational, which the Crimson Tide hosted at The Third Course at Watersound Golf Club in Panama City, Fla.
As I mentioned at the time, it might just be as simple as Gross not surviving in-team qualifiers for tournaments. Some of the most competitive golf at some of these high-powered programs comes when you’re just trying to beat out your teammates for a spot in the lineup.
Gross was listed as the No. 5 player in the Alabama lineup for The Hoyt. Alabama brought along Connor Brown, a graduate student from Pinehurst, N.C., to compete as an individual.
And who had best finish among the Alabama contingent? Well, Brown, of course. After opening with a 1-over-par 73 over the 7,150-yard, par-72 East-West nines at Sawgrass, the original home of the Tournament Players Championship before TPC Sawgrass was built, Brown added a 4-under 68 in Sunday’s second round before closing with a 2-under 70 to finish in the group tied for 16th place at 5-under 211.
It was certainly an encouraging return to action for Gross, though, as he opened with a sparkling 5-under 67 that had him near the top of the leaderboard in a tie for second place and helped Alabama land in third place in the team standings.
After making a birdie at the first hole, Gross eagled the par-5 eighth. A birdie at the 13th hole got him to 4-under before a pesky double bogey at 14 dropped him back to 2-under. But Gross finished strong, rattling off birdies at the 16th, 17th and 18th holes to get in at 5-under.
It’s easy to forget sometimes that the kid is still only 19-years old. Gross, the PIAA Class AAA champion as a junior at Downingtown West in 2021, set the expectation bar kind of high when he reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J. a week shy of his 16th birthday in 2022.
Gross cooled off a little in the final two rounds at the demanding Sawgrass layout. The 14th hole jumped up and bit him again and a double bogey there led to a 2-over 74 in Sunday’s second round, although he did finish with a birdie at the last.
Gross eagled the par-5 eighth for the second time to get it to 2-under in the final round. But he struggled on his way to the house with bogeys at the ninth and 17th holes and another of those annoying double bogeys at the last. It was another 2-over 74 that left him among the group tied for 36th place at 1-under 215 for the tournament.
Gross was running with the big dogs at The Hayt as Auburn’s Jackson Koivun, the No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), birdied the last hole to earn the individual title and seal the team title for the Plains Tigers, a win that enabled them to overtake Virginia for the No. 1 spot in the latest Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings.
Koivun led Auburn to the first national title in program history two years ago and the Plains Tigers took a ton of momentum into the match-play bracket of last year’s NCAA Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. before falling to eventual runnerup Virginia in a hard-fought quarterfinal.
Well, Auburn, a Southeastern Conference power, is at it again.
The Plains Tigers opened with a 9-under 279 at Sawgrass and added a 6-under 282 in Sunday’s second round that left them in a tie for second place, three shots behind surprising Charlotte, the reigning American Athletic Conference champion, going into Monday’s final round.
But behind Koivun’s sparkling 5-under 67 in the final round, Auburn put together a 13-under 275 for a 28-under 836 total that was two shots better than Big 12 power Texas Tech.
It was the third team win of the wraparound 2025-’26 season. And Koivun, he just keeps being Koivun.
He captured the individual title in leading the Plains Tigers to the team crown in the birdie-fest that is the Amer Ari Intercollegiate in Hawaii to open their spring campaign and Koivun was the medalist in the Gators Invitational at Florida’s home course, the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla., with Auburn settling for runnerup honors in the team chase.
Koivun had opened with a 4-under 68 at Sawgrass and added a 2-under 70 that left him in a tie for fourth place, a shot behind a trio of co-leaders that included Charlotte’s Seb Cave, a junior from England, Virginia’s Ben James, a senior from Milford, Conn. and No. 2 in the WAGR, and Texas Tech’s Connor Graham, a sophomore from Scotland and No. 31 in the WAGR, going into the final round.
But that birdie at the 18th hole proved to be the difference for Koivun as he finished with an 11-under 205 total and his third victory in four collegiate starts this season.
Texas Tech, which moved up a spot in the Scoreboard rankings from No. 11 to No. 10 in the aftermath of The Hayt, opened with a 1-under 287 and then really got it going, recording a sizzling 13-under 275 in Sunday’s second round and closing with a 12-under 276 to finish two shots behind Auburn with a 26-under 838 total.
Graham led the way for the Red Raiders as he added a 3-under 69 in Sunday’s second round to his opening-round 68 to get a share of the lead going into the final round. He closed with a 2-under 70 to finish in a tie for fourth place with Virginia’s James at 9-under 207.
Texas Tech also got a strong showing from Tim Wiedemeyer, a junior from Germany and No. 27 in the WAGR who finished in a tie for sixth place with a pair of LSU entries, Alfons Bandesson, a senior from Sweden and No. 79 in the WAGR who was competing as an individual, and Jay Mendell, a junior from Lafayette, La., each landing on 8-under 208.
After matching par in the opening round with a 72, Wiedemeyer put together back-to-back 4-under 68s.
Texas Tech earned a ticket to the NCAA Championship by finishing in fifth place as a four seed in the Urbana Regional last spring and came up just short of a spot in the match-play bracket at La Costa, just three shots out of eighth place in the team standings in 10th place.
Charlotte, which moved up two spots in the Scoreboard rankings from No. 21 to No. 19 following The Hayt, and LSU, another SEC entry that maintained its hold on the No. 6 spot in the Scoreboard rankings, finished in a tie for third place, each landing on 23-under 841.
It was a really strong showing for the 49ers as they opened with an 8-over 280 and added a 10-under 278 in Sunday’s second round to take a three-shot lead over Auburn and LSU going into the final round. Charlotte closed with a solid 5-under 283.
Cave led the way for the 49ers as he finished in a tie for second place with Duke’s William Love, a senior from Atlanta, Ga., each ending up a shot behind Koivun with a 10-under 206 total.
After opening with a 1-under 71, Cave ripped off a 6-under 66 in Sunday’s second round that gave him a share of the individual lead going into the final round. Cave finished up with a 3-under 69.
Charlotte was unable to advance to the NCAA Championship last spring as a seven seed in the Bremerton Regional.
The Bayou Tigers opened with the best team round of the tournament, a sizzling 14-under 274. They added a 1-under 287 in Sunday’s second round before closing with a solid 8-under 280.
Mendell led the way for LSU as he sandwiched a 2-over 74 in Sunday’s second round with a pair of 5-under 67s to join his teammate Bendesson and Texas Tech’s Wiedemeyer in the tie for sixth place at 8-under.
Bendesson, competing as individual, opened with a 4-under 68 before adding back-to-back 2-under 70s in the final two rounds to get it to 8-under.
It was a disappointing end to the 2024-’25 season for the Bayou Tigers as they failed to advance to the NCAA Championship as the top seed in the Amherst Regional.
North Carolina, an Atlantic Coast Conference power, finished seven shots behind Charlotte and LSU in fifth place with a 16-under 848 total.
The Tar Heels, who maintained their No. 17 spot in the Scoreboard rankings following their fifth-place finish in The Hayt, added a 1-under 287 in Sunday’s second round to their opening round of 6-under 282 before closing with a solid 9-under 279.
North Carolina was led by Grant Roscich, a sophomore from Glen Ellyn, Ill. who finished among a foursome tied for ninth place that included South Carolina’s Talah Harrison, a freshman from Kannapolis, N.C., Clemson’s Oscar Valdemar Holm Bredkjaer, a junior from Denmark, and Central Florida’s Hans Resvaer, a junior from Miami, Fla., each ending up with a 7-under 209 total.
Roscich opened with a solid 4-under 68 and added a 71 in Sunday’s second round before closing with a 70.
Much like LSU, it was a disappointing spring for North Carolina a year ago as the Tar Heels failed to advance to the NCAA Championship as a two seed in the Urbana Regional.
It was a historic spring for North Carolina’s ACC rival Virginia a year ago as the Cavaliers claimed the first ACC title in program history and made it all the way to the NCAA Championship’s Final Match at La Costa before falling to Oklahoma State in a hard-fought battle.
Virginia, which lost the top spot in the Scoreboard rankings to Auburn and fell to No. 2 following The Hayt, opened with a sparkling 12-under 276 before backing off with a 10-over 298 in Sunday’s second round. The Cavaliers bounced right back with an 11-under 277 in the final round to finish three shots behind North Carolina in sixth place with a 13-under 851 total.
Virginia was led, as it has been throughout the best era in the program’s history, by James, who had a share of the lead going into the final round after adding a 2-under 70 in Sunday’s second round to his opening round of 5-under 67. He closed with another 2-under 70 to get a share of fourth place, a shot behind Charlotte's Cave and Duke's Love with a 9-under 207 total.
Koivun and James were teammates on a United States team that claimed a deceptively easy 17-9 Walker Cup victory over a Great Britain & Ireland team that included Texas Tech’s Graham last September at the iconic Cypress Point Club on northern California’s Monterey Peninsula.
Gross and Alabama, which fell a spot from No. 15 to No. 16 in the Scoreboard rankings following The Hayt, fell back after a strong start and finished in 11th place in the tough 16-team field with an 8-under 856 total.
After opening with a solid 9-under 279, behind Gross’ fast start, Alabama added a 2-under 286 in Sunday’s second round before closing with a 3-over 291.
Alabama was unable to survive a tough weather draw in the Reno Regional last spring – there was a delay at the start of one day’s play to allow the snow to melt – and failed to advance to the NCAA Championship as a three seed.
With Auburn pointing out on its website that it is 11-2 versus Alabama since the 2021-’22 season, you can be certain that the Crimson Tide are looking for a better outcome this spring. That rivalry, in all sports, is real.
Backing up Koivun for Auburn was Jake Albert, a freshman from Blacksburg, Va. who finished among the group tied for 16th place with a 5-under 211 total. Albert, who is having a really solid rookie campaign, matched par in the opening round with a 72 and added a 2-under 70 in Sunday’s second round before contributing a 3-under 69 to the Plains Tigers’ strong finish in the final round.
Josiah Gilbert, a junior from Millbrook, Ala. and No. 12 in the WAGR, had similar splits as Albert did, opening with a 1-over 73 and adding a 2-under 70 in Sunday’s second round before closing with a 69 to finish in the group tied for 20th place at 4-under 212.
Logan Reilly, a freshman from Lovettsville, Va., and Cayden Pope, a junior from Lexington, Ky. and No. 53 in the WAGR, rounded out the Auburn lineup as they finished among the group tied for 26th place at 3-under 213.
Reilly sandwiched a 1-over 73 in Sunday’s second round with a pair of 2-under 70s. After opening with a 3-under 69, Pope matched par in the final two rounds with a pair of 72s.
Auburn head coach Nick Clinard brought along Billy Davis, a sophomore from Spring Valley, Calif. and the twin brother of Anna Davis, a standout on the Auburn women’s team, to compete as an individual and Davis finished in the group tied for 59th place at 3-over 219.
Davis matched par in the opening round with a 72 and closed with a solid 3-under 69, but struggled to a 6-over 78 in Sunday’s second round.
Really strong showing by Duke’s Love in getting a share of second place in the individual standings with Charlotte’s Cave at 10-under, a shot behind Koivun.
Love grabbed the lead with a sizzling opening round of 6-under 66, matched par in Sunday’s second round with a 72 and closed with a 4-under 68.
The Blue Devils finished eight shots behind Alabama in 12th place with an even-par 864 total and dropped from No. 20 in the Scoreboard rankings to No. 25.
South Carolina’s Harrison opened with a 1-over 73 and followed that up with a 5-under 67 in Sunday’s second round and a 3-under 69 in the final round to join the quartet that rounded out the top 10 by finishing in a tie for ninth place at 7-under.
The Gamecocks, out of the SEC, finished a shot behind Virginia in seventh place with a 12-under 852 total. South Carolina moved up from No. 49 to No. 44 in the Scoreboard rankings following its seventh-place finish in The Hayt.
Clemson’s Valdemar Holm Bredkjaer put together back-to-back 3-under 69s in the first two rounds before closing with a 1-under 71 to join the group at 7-under.
The ACC’s Tigers, who maintained their No. 40 spot in the Scoreboard rankings in the aftermath of The Hayt, finished a shot behind their in-state rival South Carolina in eighth place in the team standings with an 11-under 853 total.
UCF’s Resvaer rounded out the foursome at 7-under as he opened with a 3-under 68 and added a 2-under 70 in Sunday’s second round before closing with a 71.
The Knights, a Big 12 entry and No. 100 in the latest Scoreboard rankings, finished in 14th place in the team standings in The Hayt with a 3-over 867 total.
Norristown’s Josh Ryan, winner of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship three years in a row from 2020 to 2022, finished among the group tied for 55th place at 2-over 218 for Liberty, a Conference USA representative.
Ryan, a senior with the Flames, added a 1-under 71 in Sunday’s second round to his opening round of 3-over 75 before matching par in the final round with a 72.
Sophomore Michael Lugiano, a two-time PIAA Class AA qualifier during an outstanding scholastic career at Lake Lehman, finished in the group tied for 68th place at 5-over 221 for Liberty.
Lugiano, the runnerup in last summer’s Pennsylvania Amateur Championship at his home course, Huntsville Golf Club, opened with a 1-over 73 and followed it up with back-to-back 2-over 74s in the final two rounds.
Also in the Liberty lineup was senior Evan Barbin of the golfing Barbins of Elkton, Md. as he finished among a trio tied for 79th place with an 8-over 224 total. Barbin sandwiched a 4-over 76 with a pair of 2-over 74s.
Liberty, No. 85 in the latest Scoreboard rankings, finished in 15th place in the team standings with an 8-over 872 total.
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