ATLANTA – The Commodores’ men’s golf team dropped their opening match at the 2019 East Lake Cup on Tuesday, falling to the Texas Longhorns, 4-0-1. Vanderbilt will play in the consolation match on Wednesday at the East Lake Club.
Vanderbilt battled all day against the Longhorns, who entered the season as the number-one team in the nation. Two matches ventured into extra holes, and others were highly contested the whole day.
Freshman William Moll’s match with Spencer Soosman was back and forth all day, with Soosman eventually coming away with a victory after 22 holes. Moll trailed by one heading into the 18th hole, but sent the match into extra holes with a 20-foot putt.
Senior John Augenstein was also in a see-saw affair with his Longhorn opponent, Travis Vick in a match where neither player saw their lead grow to more than one hole all day. Augenstein squared the match on the 16th hole and both players were all-square until the 19th hole, when Vick rolled in a 40-foot putt through the fringe to win the match.
Texas’ other two wins from Parker Coody, who won his match 2&1 over freshman Matthew Riedel, and Cole Hammer, who claimed his match 2&1 over sophomore Reid Davenport. Vanderbilt’s Harrison Ott and the Longhorns’ Pierceson Coody were tied after 17 holes when the match was called.
“I was really proud of how we fought today,” said Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh. “This team has shown that there is a lot of fight in them. Those first two matches going out there were really important, and I thought William [Moll] did a lot of good things and battled and made putts. Overall, I think he did a great job and really proud for every match to get to 17. Certainly we aren’t thrilled that we didn’t get out on top, but there’s a lot to learn and that’s why this event is so beneficial because it just gives us an opportunity to learn. Hats off to Texas. I think they are a really good team, and they played well today.”
Vanderbilt will play the loser of the Oklahoma State-Wake Forest match in the consolation match Wednesday.
“Well I was proud of them,” said Limbaugh when asked about his team on Tuesday. “I really was. We’ve got to get a lot better in the off-season, but we have one more great opportunity tomorrow to play another match against another great team. We need to embrace that opportunity and try and get us a win going into the off season.”
Texas defeated Vanderbilt, 4-0-1
Spencer Soosman (Texas) defeated William Moll (Vanderbilt), 22 holes
Travis Vick (Texas) defeated John Augenstein (Vanderbilt), 19 holes
Parker Coody (Texas) defeated Matthew Riedel (Vanderbilt), 2&1
Pierceson Coody (Texas) and Harrison Ott (Vanderbilt), tied
Cole Hammer (Texas) defeated Reid Davenport (Vanderbilt), 2&1
