Even without an ending, Jackson Koibun and Preston Stout made their mark in college golf.
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Even without an ending, Jackson Koibun and Preston Stout made their mark in college golf.

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CARLSBAD, Calif. — Nick Clinard immediately shouted out his star player’s name. Alan Bratton soon followed suit.

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Those who sat in the arena-style bullpen and listened as Auburn State and Oklahoma State coaches selected their lineups for this afternoon’s semifinal round of the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship hoped that would happen. The coaches weren’t about to steal the biggest game in college golf history.

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No. 1-ranked Jackson Koibun, a two-time Haskins Trophy winner and top-ranked player in college, was slotted into Auburn’s second-game spot. Bratton countered with Preston Stout, the No. 2 ranked college player who won the NCAA individual title the day before. Bratton could have kept his star player later in the lineup and picked someone else he thought would be a better opponent. But he knew something bigger was at stake.

Two of the best players in college golf will face off for a spot in the U.S. National Championship. In the history of NCAA match play, a match of this magnitude has only occurred once, in 2012 when Texas’ Jordan Spieth defeated Alabama’s Justin Thomas 3-and-2 in the championship match at Riviera. The sequel is finally here.

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2026 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship: Match Play Field, Quarterfinal Pairings Set

A general view of on-course signage during the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 29, 2026 in Carlsbad, California.

(Ryan Sirius Sun, Getty Images)

When the Tigers and Cowboys advanced to the semifinals, social media begged for a game. Anticipation created more attention and more people turned out to watch the show at Omni La Costa on Tuesday afternoon. And it was an absolute show.

The duo hit some good shots, had a great even. Due to the stress of playing my 6th competitive round in 5 days and the longest day of college golf, there were some terrible results. Koibun finished 4 holes and moved up 3 spots. By the turn, Stout was chasing only one. There were only two ties in the first nine holes.

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On the back nine, Koibun chipped in on the 12th hole for birdie and doubled his lead. When Koibun three-putted on the 15th, Stout pulled within one. They each had two near the par-5 18th green, with Stout aiming for extras by going up and down from the bunker, while Koibun tried to do the same from the right of the green to close out the match.

As Koibun was preparing for his third shot, teammate Kayden Pope closed out the match on the 16th green, about 200 yards away. This earned Auburn a berth in the semifinals, returning the first-place Tigers to the NCAA championship game and defeating the defending champions.

Although there was no official conclusion to this star-studded showdown, the score meant Koibun won by one point. The two players shook hands with the opposing coach and exchanged brief greetings before going their separate ways.

The two were teammates at last fall’s Walker Cup. They have also competed in the Junior Presidents Cup and other collegiate events over the years. Tuesday was much more than that. The show spotlighted college golf for four hours, as two of the world’s best amateurs battled it out for a spot in the national championship game.

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At the end of the day, fans watched a show from two of the best players in college golf. It was a special moment on sports’ biggest stage, one that didn’t need to happen, but thanks to Clinard and Bratton, it did. Thanks to the buzz on social media and the interest in the showdown, there’s a good chance TV ratings will rise significantly. It was a great Tuesday afternoon for sports.

Koibun defeated Stout in the end, but it’s a shame that we don’t really know how the match will end. Stout probably believed he was going for a birdie to get in shape and force Koibun to do the same. Koibun, on the other hand, intended to do the same and was confident that he would not give Stout a chance to win that hole.

Even if it didn’t end there, Jackson Koibun and Preston Stout were successful in college golf.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Jackson Koibun and Preston Stout face off in 2026 NCAA Golf

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