AUBURN, Ala. – Carrying the national championship trophy they won 48 hours earlier more than 2,000 miles away, Auburn's men's golf team Tiger-walked to Toomer's Corner Friday evening, where hundreds of fans were waiting to congratulate them.
In a 20-minute ceremony emceed by Voice of the Auburn Tigers Andy Burcham, Auburn Mayor Ron Anders, Auburn University President Dr. Chris Roberts and athletics director John Cohen praised the program for its accomplishments.
"This is a remarkable achievement," said Roberts, addressing the team members seated in front of him. "Gentlemen, this is a monumental moment for Auburn. I also hope you appreciate that this accomplishment is a monumental moment in your lives as well. You've illustrated a commitment to excellence and a spirit that is not afraid."
The 2024 Tigers won the program's first national championship Wednesday in Carlsbad, California, beating Florida State 3-2 to conclude a 10-win season with seven consecutive tournament titles.
"It was, quintessentially, an Auburn event," Anders said of the championship match. "It represented the values that we all appreciate and love as Auburn men and women, to watch how you performed and won that championship.
"You brought a trophy home to all of us that we'll have pride about forever, but you did it in a way that makes us all proud to be Auburn men and women."
Cohen noted how he frequently sees student-athletes working on their games late at night at the Jack Key Golf Teaching Facility, then working on their strength and conditioning in early morning weight training sessions on campus.
"These guys are tireless," Cohen said, introducing the ceremony's final speaker, head coach Nick Clinard. "What's really impressive is that Coach Clinard's student-athletes in 2024 are now and will forever be recognized as national champions."
Hundreds of fans packed Toomer's Corner to celebrate Auburn men's golf's national championship
Clinard thanked Auburn's administration, donors, fans, his family, former coach Mike Griffin and former players, many of whom attended the event, including former PGA champion Jason Dufner.
"You laid the foundation," Clinard said. "You made this place great before these guys ever enrolled at Auburn University."
One of those former players, Blayne Barber, credited Clinard for launching his professional golf career.
"Coach Clinard means the world to me," Barber said. "I always thought he was going to win a national championship here. It felt inevitable. They're great guys. It doesn't surprise me at all. I'm super excited."
After congratulating the Tigers for amassing a record of 185-9-1 including 46-1-1 against SEC opponents, Clinard hinted that another celebration could be in the works in 2025.
"You know what we're going to do next year, right?" he said. "We're going to run it back. We've got the horses coming and we've got the horses sitting in these chairs right now, so we're going to run it back next year. We're excited about that already.
"What I said on the Golf Channel, I mean. It's not about me, it's about the players. It's about bringing a national championship to the Auburn family, and we did it."
The celebration concluded in Auburn style, with players grabbing rolls of toilet paper and taking aim at the nearby oak trees just as they'd done two days before on the greens of the Champions Course at Omni La Costa.
Just like that unforgettable California evening, Auburn's aim was true.
Gallery: (5-31-2024) M Golf: Toomer's Celebration
🏆 @AuburnMGolf celebrates at Toomer's Corner 🏆 🌳 🧻 #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/AGMJQK1Rtu
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) June 1, 2024
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer