After finishing in second place last year, Auburn has started off strong at the 2025 Southern Highlands Collegiate at Southern Highlands Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nev. And that is without star Jackson Koivun.
Koivun is not playing due to his participation in the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week, but the Tigers still shot a first-round 1-under 287 to take a three-shot lead into the second round. Koivun is currently ranked No. 5 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.
The Tigers finished runner-up in the 2024 Southern Highlands Collegiate to the Oklahoma Sooners.
UNLV is in solo second place at 2-over, and Pepperdine and New Mexico are T3 at 7-over.
In the individual competition, Caden Fioroni of UNLV shot an impressive 5-under 67 to take a three-shot lead into the second round. He carded six birdies and one bogey, including birdies on holes No. 16, 17, and 18, to finish strong.
Fioroni is ranked No. 32 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings. The UNLV standout won the 2024 California Amateur and made the match play portion in the 2024 U.S. Amateur.
Josiah Gilbert of Auburn and William Walsh of Pepperdine are T2 at 2-under. Carson Bacha of Auburn and Tyler Kowack of San Diego State are T4 at 1-under to round out the top five