CARLSBAD, California: The Auburn Tigers are headed to the NCAA Men's Golf Championship match after a dramatic victory over Ohio State in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Freshman star Jackson Koivun secured Auburn's berth in the final with a clutch birdie on the 21st hole against Ohio State's Adam Wallin. It was the fourth semifinal match at La Costa Resort to go the full 21 holes since the NCAA switched to match play format in 2009.
Koivun saved par on the final two holes of regulation to force extra holes, tied with Wallin. On the 21st hole, Koivun got up and down from a back bunker with a delicate pitch to within four feet and sunk the winning putt.
"We're playing for so much here. I don't want to let anyone down," said Koivun. "Coming down the stretch, I made some hiccups. I was definitely feeling the nerves."
The victory over Ohio State sets up a championship match for Auburn against Florida State. The Seminoles reached their first ever final after Tyler Weaver outlasted Kale Fontenot of Georgia Tech at the 19th hole in their semifinal.
Weaver trailed for much of the match but edged ahead late and held on through 19 holes, saving par on the final hole when Fontenot three-putted to end it. The win sends Florida State to the title match, also a first for the program.
Auburn and Florida State will face off on Wednesday at La Costa Resort, both seeking their first ever NCAA Men's Golf title. The tight semifinals followed an opening day where the top four seeds - including #1 Illinois - were all surprisingly eliminated.
It sets the setup for an exciting championship match between the Florida State Seminoles and Auburn Tigers in Carlsbad that will determine this year's NCAA champion.
References:
https://sports.yahoo.com/auburn-vs-fsu-ncaa-di-031309736.html
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