The No. 1-ranked Auburn Tigers men’s golf team stared down an opportunity at history Wednesday as it met with the Florida State Seminoles in the Division I men’s golf national championship at the Omni La Costa Champions Course in Carlsbad, California.

And with a 3-2 win over Florida State, capitalized on the opportunity, bringing home the first national championship in program history.

Putting the first point on the board for the Tigers was none other than Auburn’s freshman phenom, Jackson Koivun, who sank a long birdie to end his match early with a 5&4 win over Florida State’s Brett Roberts.

Koivun kept the Tigers’ season afloat Tuesday as he played three extra holes before helping Auburn clinch the win over Ohio State in the semifinals. Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Koivun was named the winner of the 2024 Fred Haskins Award, which is essentially the Heisman Trophy-equivalent for men’s college golf.

“I think it’s just about getting points on the board,” Koivun said in a television interview after winning his pairing. “Hopefully it takes a little bit off their shoulders. I know it’s going to be a very close match.”

Koivun wasn’t kidding as Wednesday’s championship tilt came down to the anchor match between Auburn senior J.M. Butler and Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton.

After Clanton overshot the green and sent a ball into the water on the 15th hole, Butler’s advantage stretched to 2-UP with three holes to play and put the pressure on Clanton to extend the match.

With Butler and Clanton tying on Hole 16, the all-or-nothing anchor match extended onto the 17th hole, where Butler quickly stepped out front off the tee as his drive found the fairway and Clanton’s found a bunker.

And Butler never looked back, polishing off the anchor match with a 2&1 victory and sealing the championship win for Auburn.

“A college career isn’t complete without a national championship,” Butler said in a television interview after the match. “And we were lucky to win our conference and a national championship.”

While it was ultimately up to Butler to seal the deal for the Tigers, Auburn junior Brendan Valdes joined Koivun in putting a point on the board after finishing 4&3 against Florida State senior Frederik Kjettrup earlier in the evening.