September 1, 2004

Golf World Tabs Vanderbilt 21st in Preseason

9/1/2004

Sophomore Luke List was named one of the “Top 50 Male Players to Watch”

Golf World Tabs Vanderbilt 21st in Preseason
List a National “Player to Watch”

Fresh off a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships and returning eight letterwinners from last year’s team, the Vanderbilt men’s golf squad has been ranked 21st in Golf World‘s College Preview edition.

In addition, Black and Gold sophomore Luke List, the runner-up at this summer’s prestigious 104th U.S. Amateur Championship, was selected at #5 on the magazine’s list of the “Top 50 Male Players to Watch” in 2004-05.

Georgia begins the season as the nation’s top-ranked team, while fellow Southeastern Conference power Florida is tied with Georgia Tech for the second spot. Arizona and Oklahoma State are fourth and fifth, respectively, while last year’s national team runner-up Kentucky rates sixth. UNLV, Texas, Clemson and Arizona State round out the top 10.

BYU and Southern California hold down spots #11 and #12, while defending national champion UCLA is 13th. New Mexico, Pepperdine, Auburn, TCU, Washington, California, and South Carolina occupy positions #14-20.

Vanderbilt is 21st, followed by Oklahoma, Minnesota, Tennessee and SMU.

List, a 2004 First Team All-SEC selection and Third Team Ping All-America, enters this season fresh off a successful rookie campaign that included nine top-10 finishes in 13 events. The Ringgold, Ga., native posted Vanderbilt’s best scoring average at 72.03 and set two school records (lowest single round score and most strokes under par in a single round) with a 9-under par 63 at the Hyatt/Dorado Beach Intercollegiate.

Over the summer, List made his mark nationally with a stirring run to the 36-hole championship match at the 104th U.S. Amateur in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Among the players the VU sophomore defeated during his march through the 64-player bracket were University of Kentucky senior John Holmes (third on Golf World’s “Top 50 Male Players to Watch” list), Danny Green, a veteran of almost 40 USGA national events, two-time Walker Cup participant Trip Kuehne and last year’s Division I individual runner-up Chris Nallen, a graduate of the University of Arizona.