PALM CITY, Fla. – Auburn’s Cayden Pope secured low man honors for the Tigers this week as he claimed third place with an impressive 13-under-par performance to lead his top-ranked side to a runner-up finish Tuesday at the Valspar Collegiate.
The junior from Lexington, Kentucky fired rounds of 67 (-4), 67 (-4) and 66 (-5), while making just four bogeys paired with 13 birdies and two eagles to clinch his second top-three showing of the spring.
“I was happy to see my game start trending back in the right direction,” Pope said. “Very pleased with how I played the back nine this week and pleased to see myself start hitting the ball the way I’d like to
“Goals going forward are simple. For me, that’s to get myself into contention going into the last few holes, and from there, I feel good about myself. We all have the same team goal and that’s not to leave a single event the rest of the year without winning.”
Pope saved his best stuff for Tuesday’s finale. After a slow start with a 37 (+2) on the front, he found a second gear and obliterated the home stretch with birdies on 10, 11, 12, 13 and 17, and made an eagle, his third of the season, on 15.
No. 10 Texas Tech took home the hardware with a 45-under final score. Auburn finished six shots back of the Red Raiders at 39-under. The Tigers picked up head-to-head wins over No. 6 Texas (-34), No. 7 Arkansas (-33) and No. 8 Arizona State (-12) while improving to 45-16-1 (.734) versus ranked competition this season.
“Overall, I thought the guys hung in there,” head coach Nick Clinard said. “We were a little sluggish the first seven or eight holes. We came out of the gate with little energy, probably just a bit tired from the long day yesterday, but they hung in there. They played some really good golf the last 10 holes and made a ton of birdies.”
Clinard’s team indeed made a valiant push down the stretch with 17 birdies and two eagles made over the course’s final 10 holes.
“I’m really proud of earning second place in a really good field,” Clinard added. “Obviously, our goal is to win, but unfortunately, we did not get it done today. Now, we’ve got a week off before we come out ready for the next one.”
Florida State’s Tyler Weaver and No. 14 Oklahoma’s Ryder Cowan split low medalist after each going 15-under-par at The Floridian.
Junior sensation Jackson Koivun finished five back of the winning duo and three back of teammate Pope to tie for 10th at 10-under, locking up his seventh consecutive top 10. His rounds consisted of a 65 (-6) followed by two 69s (-2).
Koivun made 17 birdies at the Valspar, the most of any Auburn player. With 451 career birdies, he ranks eighth in program history and needs 58 more to crack the top five.
True freshman Jake Albert continued his consistently strong spring with a T17th, 8-under week. He shot 65 (-6), 71 (E), 69 (-2).
In his return to the lineup, sophomore Billy Davis turned in a respectable 5-under 54-hole score. Junior Josiah Gilbert finished three back of Davis at 2-under. Davis’ best circuit was a 4-under 67 in the opening round. Gilbert’s came in round two as a 3-under 68.
Auburn returns to action a week later in its penultimate event of the regular season, The Mason Rudolph Championship, set for April 3-5 at Legends Club in Franklin, Tennessee.