Auburn squared off against defending champion Oklahoma State, while UCLA battled Arizona, in the men’s semifinals at La Costa Resort and Spa.<\/p>\n
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Video Transcript<\/p>\n
Auburn and Oklahoma State, that was what it was all about.<\/p>\n
But within that, individual battles, and Koivonen is the number one amateur in the world, six wins on the season.<\/p>\n
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Haskins Award honoree, is the best collegiate player this year, and he has that PGA Tour card waiting for him through the Tour’s accelerated program.<\/p>\n
Squaring off against Preston Stout, third ranked amateur in the world.<\/p>\n
Last night he won the NCAA individual title.<\/p>\n
And plus Auburn won that team title two years ago, Oklahoma State last year, so this was a major league showdown, and let’s get to the action.<\/p>\n
And we’ll start with Jackson Koivonen against Preston Stout.<\/p>\n
And here is Stout, two down at the par four ninth.<\/p>\n
A shaky start, but this one for birdie, and he has it on the left side, so he’s one down.<\/p>\n
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Now Koivonen still one up at the par three 12th.<\/p>\n
Elite short game, and he puts it on display right here, and pushes the lead back to two up, and that he would hang on.<\/p>\n
Now Logan Riley of Auburn against Eric Lee of Oklahoma State.<\/p>\n
Riley’s a freshman, second team all Big 12.<\/p>\n
That’s Eric Lee.<\/p>\n
Here’s Riley.<\/p>\n
Rolls it home.<\/p>\n
And so he picks up the win.<\/p>\n
Now he was on a torrid pace.<\/p>\n
Josiah Gilbert of Auburn against Ethan Feng of Oklahoma State.<\/p>\n
Feng won the amateur at Royal St. George’s last year, played the Masters, an accomplished player.<\/p>\n
And here’s Feng.<\/p>\n
Spins it back.<\/p>\n
Go ahead and do that, Ethan Feng.<\/p>\n
And now at 15.<\/p>\n
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Here’s Gilbert for birdie.<\/p>\n
Oh, yeah.<\/p>\n
Well, he wins the match four and three, second point on the board for the Tigers.<\/p>\n
How about Kaden Pope of Auburn against, Falberg Johnsen of Oklahoma State?<\/p>\n
Here’s Pope.<\/p>\n
Awfully good.<\/p>\n
Just like Koivonen, he goes two up, and he would go on to win three and two, and clinch it for the Auburn Tigers.<\/p>\n
So Auburn advancing.<\/p>\n
This was, a massive match up here against Oklahoma State.<\/p>\n
Again, they were the defending champs, but it is 5-0 favor of Auburn.<\/p>\n
They get the job done.<\/p>\n
Here is Brentley Romine with the winning coach.<\/p>\n
Well, for the second time in three years, Auburn will play for an NCAA title, joined by head coach Nick Kleinert.<\/p>\n
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Nick, that was a heavyweight semifinal bout with Oklahoma State.<\/p>\n
How were the Tigers able to knock out the Cowboys?<\/p>\n
Well, first off, what, what a great program, and, you know, Coach Bratton and Coach Dorn and, and their whole staff.<\/p>\n
I mean, just great players and a lot of tradition and history, and we’re very blessed and privileged to win that match.<\/p>\n
You know, our guys just played great.<\/p>\n
They play with a lot of heart, a lot of grit.<\/p>\n
They had a lot of toughness out there.<\/p>\n
They hit some great shots.<\/p>\n
we had a few three-putts that we’d like to get back , but, but, I’m just really proud of them.<\/p>\n
You walked every hole with that Jackson Koivonen- Yeah Preston Stout match.<\/p>\n
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It, it was a shame that it didn’t get to finish- but how did that live up to the billing for 17 and three-quarters of a hole?<\/p>\n
Two special players, two PGA Tour players, and guys that are gonna win on the PGA Tour too.<\/p>\n
I just had a front row seat, so I took it.<\/p>\n
I, I was enjoying the walk watching, to be honest.<\/p>\n
For Kaden Pope to get that clinching point, so much attention is paid to Jackson.<\/p>\n
How about these other four guys, and what do they bring to the program, and how big of a role are they gonna play tomorrow?<\/p>\n
We got some dudes.<\/p>\n
They’re tough.<\/p>\n
And, we got some guys that can roll the rock a little bit.<\/p>\n
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And, I thought Kaden Pope, we put him in the anchor both matches, you know, and, and I’m just really proud of him, the way he responded to that.<\/p>\n
And my f- how about my freshmen?<\/p>\n
Logan Riley, Jake Albert, I mean, they came to Auburn for this opportunity, and I can’t be more proud of how they played today.<\/p>\n
Two years ago, you got it done, national championship over there on the 17th green.<\/p>\n
What’s different about this year’s team?<\/p>\n
you know, it, it’s different.<\/p>\n
We had a senior-laden team then, with Jaylen Butler and Alex Vogelsong and so many other guys.<\/p>\n
And, you know, this year we’re young.<\/p>\n
We have no seniors.<\/p>\n
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You know, so we got freshmen and, and sophomores and juniors and, and we’re just out there competing our butt off, and they don’t know anything else, and, and they’re just trying to win golf tournaments.<\/p>\n
Nick, great playing today by your guys, and we’ll see you tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n
War Eagle.<\/p>\n
In his 17th season, Coach Nick Kleinert of Auburn.<\/p>\n
I love what he said, “We got some dudes,” and they’re looking for their second title in three years.<\/p>\n
This is the number one ranked team in the nation, and they have arguably one of the greatest collegiate players of all time.<\/p>\n
I know that’s heady stuff, but that’s where he’s headed.<\/p>\n
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Jackson Koivonen, twice the Haskins Award winner, 2024, and again this year.<\/p>\n
Just an enormous talent.<\/p>\n
Now to the other semifinal match.<\/p>\n
It was Arizona against UCLA.<\/p>\n
Taishi Moto of Arizona against Josh Kim.<\/p>\n
Moto, sophomore from Japan, was a second team all Big 12.<\/p>\n
Kim one up at the 18th.<\/p>\n
A freshman, he won the Big Ten Championship for UCLA, and so a point on the board for the Bruins.<\/p>\n
How about Tianyi Xiang from China, Arizona, against Tyler Loree, all square at the par five 10th.<\/p>\n
Loree birdie putt.<\/p>\n
Beautiful roll for the freshman.<\/p>\n
Young, hungry squad.<\/p>\n
Now Loree’s three up at the par 3 16th.<\/p>\n
This par putt to win, and he takes it, three and two, second point for the Bruins.<\/p>\n
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Now Filip Jakubcik of Arizona against Kyle An for UCLA.<\/p>\n
Jakubcik two up, par 3 16th.<\/p>\n
Two putts to win the match, and he will get the point for the Wildcats with a three and two win.<\/p>\n
And it’s William Wistrand of Arizona against Alex Papayano of UCLA.<\/p>\n
Wistrand needing to make this to extend at the par four 17th.<\/p>\n
Decent effort, but doesn’t get it.<\/p>\n
Papayano winning it two and one, and UCLA clinches its third point, and they advance to the final.<\/p>\n
So the 23rd ranked team in the country with a chance to pull an upset.<\/p>\n
This would be akin to maybe a, you know, five, six seed, in the NCAA basketball tournament going up against one of the, the one seeds.<\/p>\n
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UCLA against Auburn.<\/p>\n
the Bruins won it last in 2008.<\/p>\n
That was Kevin Chappell leading that team, and then before that you have to go all the way back to 1988.<\/p>\n
That was Brant Job leading the Bruins to the title<\/p>\n