SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Auburn men's golf signees Jackson Koivun and Cayden Pope pieced together an eye-catching week at one of junior golf's most prestigious events, the Rolex Tournament of Champions, at TPC San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas.
Koivun captured the tournament's crown, shooting 275 (-13) to join the event's winner's circle which includes names such as Phil Mickelson, Webb Simpson and Sam Burns.
Pope catapulted himself to a top-six placement with a 68 (-4) in his finale, tallying a 281 (-7) overall.
"Incredibly proud of both of these young men," Tigers head coach Nick Clinard said. "It is evident that they possess the raw talent, but it is the passion and the hunger to keep improving and winning that will drive them to greatness. We cannot wait to add both of them into the mix of an already dangerous repertoire come next fall."
For Koivun, the path to victory came by way of a 70-69-68-68 scorecard. The signee from Chapel Hill, North Carolina combatted five bogeys with 18 total birdies on the week. To clinch the title, Koivun made up for a bogey on 18 with birdies on 2, 3, 12, 13 and 15 to outlast Oklahoma State signee Johnnie Clark by a single stroke.
It was a 67-73-73-68 week for Pope that solidified his top-10 finish. The junior golfer from Lexington, Kentucky made birdie 20 times through his four stanzas, including six times in Wednesday's fourth round.
Both Pope and Koivun have signed their national letters of intent and will join the top-ranked men's golf squad in the fall of 2023.