BOCA RATON, Fla. — The Commodores picked up right where they left off from the fall season, sitting at the top of the leaderboard after the first day of the FAU Paradise Invitational.
Vanderbilt finished the first 36 holes of the tournament with a 22-under-par, 554 total, 12 strokes ahead of second-place Nebraska. The Dores took an early lead after the first 18 holes, securing first place and a two-stroke lead over South Florida behind a 13-under-par, 275 total.
Success continued on the second 18 holes as the Commodores combined for a 9-under-par 279.
The Dores lead in almost every statistical category after the first day: lowest averages on par 3s, 4s, and 5s, as well as most team birdies (43) and tied for most eagles (1). Vanderbilt finished Monday with 10 more birdies than any other team.
The individual leaderboard is also full of black and gold as every Commodore is in the top 25, including four in the top 10.
“This group continues to impress and amaze me,” Vanderbilt head coach Greg Allen said. “Celina (Sattelkau) and Ginnie (Ding) really carried us in the morning round and then Tillie and Lynn flexed in the afternoon round.”
Virginie Ding currently sits solely in second place after an 8-under-par 136. Following Ding is freshman Tillie Claggett, 5-under on the day and tied for fifth place.
Aided by an eagle on the opening par-5, Lynn Lim is tied for eighth place after 36 holes with a 4-under 140. Senior Celina Sattelkau is also tied for eighth at 4-under-par.
“It was really nice seeing all of them finish strong in both rounds,” Allen. “They showed a lot of patience and then created a lot of separation playing the last four holes 11-under to finish the second round.”
Tess Davenport finished Monday with a 145 stroke total, placing her tied for 25th place. Natasha Kiel—competing as an individual— is at a 36-hole total of 148 and is tied for 40th.
Vanderbilt heads into the final round of a tournament in first place for the first time since its win at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate in the fall.
“We know it’s not over yet and will need to be sharp again (Tuesday), playing with the same mindset we had today,” Allen said.
The Commodores will take on the final 18 holes Tuesday paired with Nebraska and South Florida at 7 a.m. CT. Live scoring for the event can be found HERE.
