STATESBORO, Ga. – The Commodores claimed their second team title of the 2015-16 season in grand style on Sunday, posting a 19-under par, 269, in the final round and defeating second-place Wake Forest by 10 shots at the 37th Annual Schenkel Invitational in Statesboro, Ga., with a final team total of 41-under par, 823 (274-280-269). Vanderbilt freshman Will Gordon fired a final-round 63 in route to a three-round total of 13-under, 203 (67-73-63) for the tournament, which tied him for first on the individual leader board. The team win is the second of the season, with the other coming at the DICK’s Sporting Goods Collegiate Challenge Cup in September.
Vanderbilt’s win came in their seventh appearance at the Schenkel through the years, and Gordon’s 63 tied a individual-round low for the tournament. The freshman from Davidson, N.C., posted the lowest single-round score at the tournament since 1989 in a round that featured nine birdies and no bogeys at the Forest Heights Golf Club. Sunday was his second bogey-free round of the tournament.
Gordon joins Andy Bean of Florida (1975), Darren Cole of Ole Miss (1985), Chris Kite of Wake Forest (1986), and Richie Bryant of Georgia Southern (1989) as the only players to card a 63 at the tournament.
Gordon, who has posted two final-round 63’s this semester (SunTrust Gator Invitational), lost on the second sudden-death playoff hole to Michael Johnson of Auburn for medalist honors in the tournament.
For the tournament, the Commodores had four players finish in the top seven in a field that featured four top-20 teams. Besides Gordon, sophomore Theo Humphrey finished the tournament with a 10-under par, 206 (70-69-67), which placed him sixth, while freshman Patrick Martin (68-70-69) and junior Matthias Schwab (69-68-70) each finished in a tie for seventh with a final score of nine-under par, 206. Vanderbilt’s final round 269 tied for the second-lowest in the 37-year history of the tournament, joining the Commodores’ 2015 third round total and rounds by Alabama in 2015 and Auburn in 2012. The Commodores’ 823 also tied the second lowest tournament team score.
“Well, we talked last night about carrying momentum that we ended yesterday’s round with into today’s round and that’s what we did,” said Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh. “As a competitor, you have to want to be in that moment. Will and Theo played great golf today and that really lifted up our team. I am most proud of how they kept a present mindset and focused on the right things. It was really a team effort with Patrick and Matthias continuing to show how special they are.”
The Commodores led the tournament in par-four scoring for the tournament at 3.97 strokes, and posted a combined 70 birdies for the weekend. Individually, Martin and Gordon finished one-two in birdies with 18 and 17, respectively. Humphrey was ninth in birdies with 15.
“I’m just really proud of how the guys competed from start to finish. It was a really good step for us in being the team we know we can be. I want our guys to enjoy this because they earned it. However, every one of them knows we can continue to get better and that’s where our focus will be as we prepare for our next event.”
Vanderbilt’s next tournament will take place on Saturday, March 26, in the FarmLinks Collegiate Match Play, which will take place at the FarmLInks at Pursell Farms in Sylacauga, Ala.
1. Vanderbilt – 274-284-269=823
T1. Will Gordon – 67-73-63=203
6. Theo Humphrey – 70-69-67=206
T7. Matthias Schwab – 69-68-70=207
T7. Patrick Martin – 68-70-69=207
T15. Michael Decker – 72-71-66=209
T61. Carson Jacobs – 72-74-74=220
*Individual
Photo credit: Jeremy Wilburn
