NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The #5-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team posted a solid start in their quest for the 2015 NCAA Championship on Thursday at the New Haven Regional with a five-over par, 285, which is good for fourth place on the team leader board after the first day of play at The Course at Yale. Sophomore Matthias Schwab carded a one-under par, 69, one of only four players to post an under-par round on day one, to lead the Commodores. Schwab is in fourth place in the individual standings.
Thursday’s first round was a roller coaster ride from start to finish, with the Commodores making The Course at Yale look fairly easy early on, jumping out to an early lead. The middle of the round was more of a struggle for Vanderbilt, but Schwab and senior Hunter Stewart steadied the Vanderbilt ship down the stretch, with Stewart birdieing two out of his last four holes and Schwab finishing his last six holes at one-under par.
“I thought the guys did a great job hanging in there for the entire round today,” said Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh. “We got off to a nice start, had a rough patch in the middle of the round, but hung in there and finished strong. Matthias and Hunter were very solid and in control all day. We want to continue to have five guys competing and trusting one another to do their job.
Schwab’s 69 came on four birdies and three bogeys and he tied for third amongst all players on Thursday with the four birdies.
“I got off to a good start,” said Schwab. “I kind of got lucky on one; I was under the trees but managed to hack it out and it trickled next to the hole and made birdie. I made a good putt on two, and then just hung in there. I hit a bad shot on six and made bogey, but all-in-all, I’m happy with the round and the way I fought back at the end. I was just hanging in there on the back nine and that’s about all you can do on this course.
“Coach Limbaugh told us to be patient out here, and if you play it right, you have a lot of short irons into the greens. You just have to stay patient.”
Stewart, who struggled early on with three straight bogeys on holes four through six, chipped in on the par-three, 213-yard ninth, and then shot one-under on the back nine to finish at even par, which is good for a tie for fifth on the individual leader board. The senior from Lexington, Ky., also pushed his streak to rounds of par or better to 19 in a row.
“It played tough out there today and I didn’t really get off to a good start,” said Stewart. “I kind of got my round jump started on nine with a chip-in, and after that, I felt really comfortable out there. I hit a couple of bad shots and had another bogey on 14, but all-in-all, I played really nicely after that chip-in on nine. You have to be really patient with two par fives on the last three holes, and you just have to hang around and do it at the end.”
The Commodores also counted a one-over, 72, from freshman Theo Humphrey and a four-over, 74, from junior Carson Jacobs. Fellow junior Zack Jaworski posted a five-over, 75, and carded the day’s only eagle, which came on the par-five, 553-yard, 16th.
South Florida leads the way after shooting a one-over, 281, one stroke better than second-place Ohio State. San Diego State is in third, three strokes back, and the Commodores stand in fourth, only four shots back.
The Bulls’ effort was paced by Rigel Fernandes, who shot a first-round 64. Fernandes holds the individual lead over Ohio State’s Clark Engle and Northwestern’s Dylan Wu, who each trail Fernandes by four strokes in second place.
The top five teams from six regionals advance to the NCAA Championship, which takes place May 29 through June 3. Additionally, the top individual not affiliated with a qualifying team in the six regionals will also advance to the finals at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.
The second round continues Friday, with the Commodores teeing off at 8:20 a.m. ET on the number one tee with Oklahoma State and Troy.
“Today was a solid start and tomorrow is important and we have to embrace that,” said Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh.
4. Vanderbilt – 285
4. Matthias Schwab – 69
T5. Hunter Stewart – 70
T20. Theo Humphrey – 72
T39. Carson Jacobs – 74
T46. Zack Jaworski – 75
