Auburn takes three of top four spots to dominate General Hackler Collegiate

March 18, 2025 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com

Brendan Valdes (Auburn Athletics Photo)

The Tigers shot 33-under and senior Brendan Valdes finished 12-under to win by one shot behind a final round 7-under 65

With ease, the Auburn Tigers won the 2025 General Hackler Collegiate at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C., shooting 33-under with rounds of 278-284-269.

The Tigers have now two straight tournaments by a combined 27 strokes.

“It was a great week for all six guys in Myrtle Beach,” head coach Nick Clinard told Auburn Athletics after the final round. “They each faced their own set of challenges and rose to them. We’re thrilled to be coming home with another piece of hardware for the trophy case, but we cannot and will not stop there. We’ve got to continue to push ourselves and have a hunger to improve each day if we want to chase more championships this spring.”

The Tigers carded a 19-under 269 final round, with four of the six players shooting in the 60s to run away from the field.

Louisville finished in solo second place at 16-under, and Duke finished in solo third place at 14-under.

In the individual competition, Auburn senior Brendan Valdes earned his third career win, finishing 12-under with rounds of 67-72-65 to secure the one-shot win. His final round, 7-under 65, consisted of six birdies, one eagle, and one bogey.

According to Auburn Athletics, Valdes is the new program record-holder for subpar rounds with 70. He is currently ranked No. 10 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.

Ethan Evans of Duke finished in solo second place at 11-under, and Josiah Gilbert of Auburn, Jackson Koivun of Auburn, Max Bengtsson of Coastal Carolina, and Sebastian Moss of Louisville all finished T3 at 8-under to round out the top five.

The Dunes, established in 1948, is considered one of Myrtle Beach's premier Country Clubs. The Oceanside golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and is consistently rated one of America's Top 100 courses.

The golf course is rich in history and has hosted six senior Tour Championships, a Women's US Open, and the PGA Tour Qualifying School finals.

Dunes Club Champions include Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Jay Sigel, Gil Morgan, Jim Colbert, Gary McCord, and Raymond Floyd. The Dunes offers a classic Club experience with all the Southern charm, elegance, and style associated with the finest clubs in the Southeast.

Results: Michael A. Marino Classic

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Brendan Valdes	Orlando, FL	400	67-72-65=204
2	Ethan Evans	Mercer Island, WA	300	69-66-70=205
T3	Josiah Gilbert	, Australia	200	69-72-67=208
T3	Jackson Koivun	Chapel Hill, NC	200	71-69-68=208
T3	Sebastian Moss	Pearland, TX	200	70-70-68=208

View full results for Michael A. Marino Classic

About the Michael A. Marino Classic

Auburn takes three of top four spots to dominate General Hackler Collegiate

54 hole men's college tournament hosted by Coastal Carolina University. Team (best four scores out of five players each day) and individual competitions.