AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn men's golf team will officially begin its long-awaited spring campaign as it is set to compete in the Amer Ari Invitational Feb. 3-5 in Waikoloa, Hawai'i. The action will commence from Hapuna Golf Club in a shotgun start at 11:30 a.m. CT.
"The Ameri Ari Invitational is a great event that we always enjoy competing in," Auburn head coach Nick Clinard said. "It'll be on a new golf course that we haven't played before, so that brings a new, exciting challenge into the fold. We're ready to get out there and experience some great weather and really build our camaraderie with the young team that we have this year."
The trip will mark the program's ninth appearance in 10 years at the event. Auburn's best finish came in 2019 when the Tigers shot 827 (-37) to finish second as a team. Dominic Bozzelli is the only Tiger to claim the tournament's individual championship as he did so in Auburn's debut at the event in 2013.
The Tigers saw early success in their two stroke-play tournaments of the fall. As a team, Auburn notched a pair of top-three finishes that included 31-under and two-under performances at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate and the Isleworth Collegiate, respectively.
Making the trek to the Aloha State for the Tigers will be juniors Austin Coggin and C.J. Easley, sophomores Carson Bacha and J.M. Butler and freshmen Brendan Valdes and Evan Vo.
Coggin saw action in each of the Tigers' four fall tournaments, averaging 71.17 strokes per round with four of his six rounds coming at or below par. Coggin will play as Auburn's individual competitor this weekend. Easley played in three fall events which included a one-over performance at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate. The Oxford, Mississippi product boasts a 72.48 career stroke average.
Also in the lineup for the Tigers' spring-opener will be sophomores Bacha and Butler. Bacha saw his first collegiate action at the SEC Match Play Championship, earning a pair of victories over opponents from both Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
Likely the hottest hand for Auburn throughout the fall was that of Butler. The Louisville, Kentucky native kickstarted the 2021-22 cycle by winning the individual title and setting the school record for lowest round of 54 at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate. He capped the fall slate with yet another strong performance – a four-under, top-five finish at the Isleworth Collegiate. Butler ranks second in the Southeastern Conference with a 67.50 fall scoring average.
A pair of freshmen, Valdes and Vo, round out the Auburn lineup heading into the tournament. Valdes made his debut on the college stage with a near top-10 finish at the Isleworth Collegiate while Vo shot three-under-par in his debut at the team's fall-opener in Arizona.
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