Dores Battle Back

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The No. 11-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team carded a combined 20-under par through 36 holes of play on Tuesday to jump up six spots on the team leaderboard and conclude the 2025 Watersound Invitational in fifth place at 11-under 853.

The Commodores played the final two rounds of the Watersound Invitational on Tuesday, with inclement weather looming in Panama City, Florida, on Wednesday. Vanderbilt opened the day by carding 6-under 282 in Round 2 to move into a tie for seventh. The Dores then proceeded to put together their best round of the year in Round 3, as Vandy finished at 14-under 274 to end the tournament in fifth place.

“We knew we needed to come out today and play with some energy and our guys really responded well by being the low team for the two rounds today,” said Scott Limbaugh, the Thomas F. Roush, M.D. and Family Vanderbilt Men’s Golf Head Coach. “Days like today help build the mindset you have to have in order to be your best. I knew we battled hard yesterday and that was important for us to get that little momentum.

“I know we are learning a lot each time out right now and today was a really good day for us. I am very proud of all the guys.  We know we have to keep learning, getting better, and getting more consistent. Our talent won’t speed us up or slow us down, it is our mindsets that will ultimately decide what this team will be.”

Vanderbilt’s performance on Tuesday allowed the Commodores to move up six spots on the player leaderboard. The Dores concluded the Watersound Invitational in fifth place at 11-under 853. The Commodores posted round scores of 297-282-274 at Sharks Tooth Golf Club.

Senior Jackson Van Paris collected his first top-five finish of the season, tying for fourth after carding 6-under 210. The Pinehurst, North Carolina, native posted his best 18-hole score in Round 3, as he carded 4-under 68. Van Paris collected the third-most birdies in the tournament with 14 and held the second-lowest par-5 score at 9-under.

All five Commodores in the lineup finished under par in Round 3 on Tuesday, while all but one Vandy golfer finished at par or better in Round 2.

Junior John Broderick posted the lowest 18-hole score for Vanderbilt at the Watersound Invitational, as he carded 5-under 67 in his final round of play at Sharks Tooth Golf Club. Sophomore Chase Nevins matched Van Paris’ Round 3 score at 4-under 68, while senior Gordon Sargent and junior Wells Williams each concluded the tournament carding 1-under 71 in their final round on Tuesday.

“Jackson lead the way for us again today and really did a great job staying positive after a slow start,” added Limbaugh. “He found something with his iron game and really played well most of the day. Wells was a couple over early today, but hung in there and really played great which was big for him and our team. John was really good all day long today and he continues to build a lot of trust with his consistency and ability to lift the team up. Chase gave us a huge round this afternoon, which should give him a lift moving forward. Obviously, it’s great to see Gordon shoot another solid two under-par rounds today and fight all the way through. This game is tough and we believe in him so much and we know he’s made of the right fibers and we will keep pushing forward together.”

Host Florida State won the 2025 Watersound Invitational with a three-round score of 26-under 838 to win the tournament by nine strokes. FSU’s Luke Clanton posted a three-stroke victory, as he finished the event at 10-under 206.

The Commodores will take a brief break before returning to competition at the 2025 Cabo Collegiate. The three-day event takes place March 2-4 at Twin Dolphin Club in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

For more information and exclusive content on the Vanderbilt men’s golf team, follow @VandyMGolf on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X.