OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. — The Vanderbilt men’s golf team opened the 2008-09 season with a nine-over 289 to run fourth after 18 holes of the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational.
“We really held together today on a difficult golf course,” Vanderbilt Head Coach Tom Shaw said. “Throughout the day I didn’t have a feel for how we were doing in such a good field. We’re happy to be right in the thick of things, but on a course like this there’s still plenty of work to do to keep it up.”
With 36 holes to play over the next two days, the Commodores trail Indiana, Penn State and host Illinois by only one stroke. The impressive 15-team field includes top-ranked UCLA (T-10th, +17), No. 2 Oklahoma State (7th, +11) and No. 5 Stanford (T-5th, +10).
Sophomore Adam Hofmann paced the Commodores with a one-over 71 to place in a tie for 10th after the first of three rounds.
One stroke behind Hofmann, senior Tyler Matthews carded a two-over 72. Matthews is tied for 14th in the 75-player field. Senior Jon Curran and junior Hudson Johnson are tied for 21st at three-over (73).
Freshman Trey DelGreco made his Commodore debut Friday. The Birmingham, Ala., product shot a four-over 74, tying for the lowest round that did not count among team scores.
The north course at the Olympia Fields Country Club has hosted four major golf championships, including the 2003 United States Open.
The Commodores will tee off at 8 a.m. CT on Saturday, leaving from the first hole with Texas and Stanford. Golfstat will continue to run live scoring throughout the event, available on the Internet by clicking here.
Vanderbilt returns home next weekend to play host to the 2008 Mason Rudolph Championship. The men’s and women’s events will be played simultaneously on the south and north courses, respectively.
