NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt begins its quest for a second straight Southeastern Conference championship starting Wednesday on the Seaside Course at the Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island, Georgia.
The Commodores won the 2021 title after three thrilling wins in the match play portion of the event. They come into this week’s event with four tournament titles under their belt and a No. 3 overall national ranking.
“It is always great to be headed back to Sea Island for the SEC Championships. We are thankful to have the opportunity to compete in the best conference at such a great venue,” Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh said. “Our league is once again from top to bottom the best in the nation and we know it will take our best this week if we are going to be successful.”
Vandy, scheduled to tee off at 7 a.m. CT Wednesday alongside Arkansas and Georgia, will feature Gordon Sargent, Cole Sherwood, Reid Davenport, Harrison Ott and William Moll in its lineup. Jackson Van Paris will be available as a possible substitution.
Moll, Davenport, Ott and Sherwood were all part of the 2021 team championship. Sargent and Van Paris are true freshmen.
“In my opinion, there is nothing better than being on a team,” Limbaugh said. “And if we are going to be great this week, everyone on the team will have to play their role. This format really identifies the best and most-together team.”
The Seaside Course at the Sea Island Club is a par 70 course played at 7,005 yards. St. Simons has been the location for the league’s championship tournament since 2001.
For the fifth consecutive championship, the tournament setup will start with 54 holes of stroke play Wednesday-Friday. The top eight teams will then advance to match play beginning Saturday. After the quarterfinals and semifinals Saturday, the finals will be held Sunday.
Vanderbilt, which captured the Mossy Oak Collegiate team title Tuesday, also won the SEC championship in 2017.
“This team has a burning desire to compete and has done a great job all spring of having fun and playing free. I want us to see this week as an opportunity, not assume anything and play with passion,” Limbaugh said. “We aren’t promised anything and for us it will be about doing the little things at a high level and going out and taking it from a team that wants the same thing that we want.
“The boys are excited to go compete and I’m excited to see who steps up to help the team.”
Live scoring for the SEC Championships can be found HERE.
