ATLANTA – William Moll’s short birdie putt on the 18th hole Wednesday lifted the Vanderbilt men’s golf team to a 3-2 victory over Arizona State, helping the No. 3 seed Commodores win the East Lake Cup.
Down four holes to Josele Ballester at the turn, the senior made a key putt to halve No. 10 before winning four of the next five holes to even the match. The two halved Nos. 16 and 17 before Moll clinched the win on the final hole of the East Lake Golf Club, a 584-yard par 5.
“For me, the word that comes to mind is grit,” head coach Scott Limbaugh said. “I’m super proud of how the boys battled all day long, seeing the hole a couple of them were in early and how they were able to find a way to get the job done was an awesome way to end the fall season.”
Matthew Riedel got the Dores on the board first with a 7&6 defeat of Ryggs Johnston, with the senior—already 2 up—taking control of the match by winning five holes in a row beginning at the seventh. The top-seeded Sun Devils evened the score 1-1 when Luke Potter claimed No. 18 to take a 1 up victory over Cole Sherwood, however Vandy went back in front after Reid Davenport rallied to beat Michael Mjaaseth 2&1 when the two halved the 17th hole.
Preston Summerhays earned a 3&1 win over Gordon Sargent in the final pairing to even the match once again and set the stage for Moll.
This marks the second time the Dores have claimed the East Lake Cup after winning the title at the 2017 edition of the event.
“I’m certainly proud of Matthew for getting the first point on the board, and the fight and courage that Cole showed,” said Limbaugh. “Reid battled to get a point that he wanted badly, and I was proud how William was able to hang in there and clinch the winning point. I really appreciate all the fans who showed up to celebrate our boys today.
“Now it’s time for the offseason. We’re certainly excited to finish the fall this way, but also to see if we can improve. We’re going to get some rest and then work on some areas we need to get better in to be the best team we can be.”
The Commodores begin the spring season at the John Hayt Intercollegiate at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on Feb. 5.
