May 10, 2018
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Auburn head men's golf coach Nick Clinard was selected as the 2017-18 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year, while Brandon Mancheno earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors, the league office announced Thursday.
Mancheno also was voted Second Team All-SEC and All-Freshman Team by the conference coaches. Jovan Rebula was selected Second Team All-SEC, while Wells Padgett earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Ben Schlottman was tabbed to the Community Service Team.
Clinard becomes the third Auburn coach all-time to be named the conference's top leader and the first since Mike Griffin in 2002. Under Clinard, the Tigers won four tournaments during the 2017-18 season, including the fourth SEC title in program history after defeating Alabama in match play.
Auburn has been nationally ranked the entire campaign and has finished sixth or better in every event. Individuals in the orange and blue have carded 121 rounds at or below par, including 89 below par.
Additionally, three Tigers on the 2017-18 squad stand in the program's top 10 for lowest stroke average per round for a season in Mancheno (70.52), Rebula (70.91) and Trace Crowe (71.03).
Mancheno is the fifth rookie in program history to earn SEC Freshman of the Year honors and just the second since 1990. His round average of 70.52 currently stands as the second-lowest in single-season program history behind Michael Johnson's 70.37 in 2016.
The Jacksonville, Fla. native has turned in 16 rounds under par, including nine in the 60s. Mancheno has been Auburn's top finisher in a team-best five tournaments this season.
Rebula featured in all 11 tournaments and tallied 70.91 strokes per round. The sophomore produced a team-high 20 rounds at or even par, including 17 below par. Rebula had seven top-20 finishes and ended four tournaments in the top 10.
Mancheno and Rebula are the 78th and 79th All-SEC selections in the Auburn record books all-time.
Padgett boasted an average round score of 71.73 en route to 10 rounds below par, including eight in the 60s. The Wichita, Kan. native had two top-10 finishes and sunk the title-clinching putt during match play of the SEC Championship, giving the Tigers their first crown since 2002.
Schlottman, the lone senior on the roster, was heavily involved with reading books at local elementary schools as well as Habitat for Humanity. He also took part in the annual Trick or Treat event in downtown Auburn during Halloween. The Advance, N.C. native averaged 70.67 strokes per round during the regular season.
The Tigers begin their quest for a national title when they travel to Norman, Okla. for the NCAA Regionals, May 14-16, at the Jimmy Austin OU Club.
Coach of the Year
Nick Clinard, Auburn
Player of the Year
Theo Humphrey, Vanderbilt
Freshman of the Year
Brandon Mancheno, Auburn
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Theo Humphrey, Vanderbilt
First Team All-SEC
Andy Zhang, Florida (SEC Championship Medalist)
Chandler Phillips, Texas A&M
Theo Humphrey, Vanderbilt
Braden Thornberry, Ole Miss
Lorenzo Scalise, Tennessee
Lee Hodges, Alabama
Davis Riley, Alabama
Luis Gagne, LSU
Hayden Buckley, Missouri
Second Team All-SEC
Brandon Mancheno, Auburn
Will Gordon, Vanderbilt
Alvaro Ortiz, Arkansas
Gordon Neale, Florida
Spencer Ralston, Georgia
John Augenstein, Vanderbilt
Jovan Rebula, Auburn
Patrick Martin, Vanderbilt
All-Freshman Team
Brandon Mancheno, Auburn
Trey Winstead, LSU
Wells Padgett, Auburn
John Axelson, Florida
Jacob Bergeron, LSU
Cecil Wegener, Ole Miss
Community Service Team
Alex Green, Alabama
Alvaro Ortiz, Arkansas
Ben Schlottman, Auburn
Blake Dyer, Florida
Matthew Beringer, Georgia
Cooper Musselman, Kentucky
Luis Gagne, LSU
Beau Briggs, Ole Miss
Taylor Grant, Mississippi State
Hayden Buckley, Missouri
Ben Dietrich, South Carolina
Nolan Ray, Tennessee
Brandon Smith, Texas A&M
Will Gordon, Vanderbilt