AUBURN, Ala. – The presenter of Auburn's annual Tiger Invitational tournament and the golf program's most famous alum, Jason Dufner smiles when he sees his alma mater ranked No. 2 in the country.
"Coach (Nick) Clinard has done a great job with the program," Dufner said. "He's got some nice talent from some veteran guys who have played a lot and some young guys who are playing a good bit and doing well for him.
"They're one of the better programs in the country and they've got a really strong team this year. I know he's trying to get them to peak toward the end of the season. He's done a great job of keeping these guys grounded, focused and in the process of competing and trying to win tournaments."
Winning tournaments has become a habit for Auburn this season. Tuesday's Tiger Invitational triumph at Auburn University Club was the program's second straight team title and record-tying fifth of the season.
"Pleased with our performance," said Auburn coach Nick Clinard, in his 15th season. "I thought our guys handled some adversity out there."
No one in Auburn's lineup better exemplifies handling adversity than medalist J.M. Butler, a two-time All-American who overcame a slow start to the spring season to earn his second career victory.
"Lucky to be able to come out with a win," Butler said. "We have fantastic players on this team. It's a blessing to compete with them every day."
A steady senior, Butler beat flashy freshman Jackson Koivun by one stroke to claim medalist honors.
"He's an amazing player," said Butler, who says his precocious teammate hits golf balls straighter than any player J.M. has ever seen. "He's going to continue to play well and win at the highest level. Super proud of him to show his maturity. What he's done has just been phenomenal."
Koivun, who earned his first collegiate victory the previous week at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate in his home state of North Carolina, has earned recognition from the Southeastern Conference six times so far in his debut season.
"I'm managing my game really well, getting a little better every day with the way I can hit," Koivun said. "I'm working on consistency and managing my misses. That's really helped me."
"He's a great player," Clinard said. "He's going to be a first-team All-American if he keeps it up. He's one of the best freshmen in the country and he's showing it."
Competing in practice for positions in tournament lineups brings out the best in the Tigers, helping Auburn achieve the No. 1 ranking earlier this spring.
Irons sharpen irons, one could say.
"I think we're a really good team," Koivun said. "It was good to see J.M. play well again. That helps our lineup. We're really deep.
"We've got a bunch of great guys on this team pushing each other each day to get better. That's helped me and other guys progress as golfers. The camaraderie is very helpful for me."
Auburn's team connection helped attract Koivun to the Plains from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He's made a strong program even stronger.
"A team," Koivun said, listing his reasons for choosing Auburn. "Coach Clinard has been very helpful for me. The facility is awesome and I love calling Auburn home."
"We have fantastic players on this team & it's a blessing to be able to compete with them every day."
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) March 13, 2024
🥇@JMButler2020 wins at AU Club
🥈 @AuburnMGolf freshman Jackson Koivun
J.M., Jackson & @AUCoachClinard recap AU 🏆 at Tiger Invitational presented by @JasonDufner #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/pl3hmIZBE5
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer