AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn men’s golf is back in action this weekend, March 7-9, at The Hayt, hosted at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
“We’re at a crucial part in our season where we’ve got to start figuring out what our most competitive lineup is,” Auburn head coach Nick Clinard said. “These six guys have done a tremendous job of working hard to separate themselves since the fall. The Hayt is not only a chance to play great teams on a great course but also a massive opportunity for our players to make their case on an even playing field for who ultimately belongs in that postseason five."
Teeing it up for the Orange & Blue this weekend are the same starting five that saw action earlier in the week in Las Vegas, plus the addition of sophomore Billy Davis as an individual player. Jackson Koivun and Jake Albert carried the torch for Auburn at Southern Highlands, finishing third and fourth, respectively.
Albert outplayed his nearest fellow freshman by seven shots and earned SEC Freshman of the Week for the third time this semester.
Through three events this spring, Auburn has yet to finish worse than runner-up. The Tigers won the Amer Ari Invitational in Hawai’i to kickstart the year and followed it up with second-place showings at The Gator Invitational and Southern Highlands. Koivun has been the team’s low man in all three. He emerged as the individual winner in each of the first two, then took bronze last time out in Vegas.
Appearing in The Hayt for the first time since 2019, a win this week would be the Tigers’ second in four attempts. Auburn first won the event in 2018, when it shot 12-under to edge North Carolina by a stroke.
Both Auburn and the No. 17 Tarheels are back for more this year. Also in the field at Sawgrass are No. 1 Virginia, No. 6 LSU, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 15 Alabama, No. 20 Duke, No. 21 Charlotte, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Liberty, Louisville, North Florida, South Carolina, South Florida and UCF.
The Cavaliers and Gamecocks both appeared in the Tigers’ last event, the Southern Highlands Collegiate. Virginia won the tournament, topping Auburn by a single stroke. South Carolina finished tied for 12th place, 36 strokes back of Auburn.
For Saturday’s first round, the Tigers are set to tee off hole 1 in 10-minute intervals, beginning with Pope at 7:20 a.m. CT. Auburn’s opening-day threesomes also include players from LSU and Texas Tech. Davis will play alongside fellow individuals from Coastal Carolina and UCF.
Live scoring for the entirety of the 2026 Hayt can be found at scoreboard.clippd.com.