NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The 2019-20 men’s golf campaign begins this weekend for the Commodore Men’s Golf team at the Carmel Cup at world-renown Pebble Beach Golf Links. Vanderbilt will compete against seven of the nation’s best collegiate teams in the three-day event, which begins Friday morning at 9 a.m. CDT.
Vanderbilt is hoping to build on the team’s 2019 NCAA Championship finish, where the Commodores advanced to the Final Four for the second time in three seasons. However, gone are stalwarts Will Gordon and Patrick Martin, who graduated in May of 2019 after playing in every event in their four-year career. Senior John Augenstein will also miss the event as he prepares to represent the United States at the Walker Cup in Hoylake, England, at Royal Liverpool Sept. 7-8.
“It’s exciting to get started again on a new journey,” said Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh, who is entering his eighth season at the helm of the Commodore men’s golf program. “I am enjoying this team so far and like what I see from a team chemistry standpoint. The goal right now, as it is every year, is to put a good and competitive team together. We want to have a team that competes and works the way it needs to in order to have a good fall. We can only control what we can control in the short term. My challenge to the guys has been to start to take ownership of what we can control and not be concerned about things that can distract us from being the best we can be.”
Vanderbilt will face off against Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Georgia in a six-counting-five format. Eighteen holes will be played each day at the par-72, 6,828-yard Pebble Beach Golf Links.
The Commodores will send juniors Harrison Ott and Luke Zieman, sophomores Michael Shears and Reid Davenport, and freshmen William Moll and Matthew Riedel.
“The Carmel Cup is a great event and a really special place to be able to play,” said Limbaugh. “We are so thankful for everyone that helps us to have the opportunity to have such a special week. We will certainly miss having John with us and he hates to miss the event, but we are excited that he has the opportunity to represent us and the USA in the Walker Cup next weekend.”
Live scoring can be found on Golfstat.com throughout the weekend.
