PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – The No. 12-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team got the 2025 fall season off to a hot start, as the Commodores sit atop the team leaderboard at the 2025 Carmel Cup after 18 holes of play with a Round 1 score of 8-under 352.
A trio of golfers led the charge for the Dores on Day 1 of the Carmel Cup, as senior Wells Williams, sophomore Ryan Downes and freshman Michael Riebe each carded 3-under 69 to end Round 1 in a tie for second place. The three head into Saturday two strokes off the individual lead.
Vanderbilt’s Round 1 score of 8-under 352 gives the Commodores a five-stroke advantage over the field heading into the second round of the Carmel Cup. A total of four Dores carded under par during their first trek around Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Vandy paced the field on Par 5 scoring in Round 1 at 7-under, while Riebe’s Par 5 score of 4-under leads the tournament after 18 holes.
“I’m proud of our guys and excited to see us get off to a strong start,” said Vanderbilt Thomas F. Roush, M.D., and Family Men’s Golf Head Coach Scott Limbaugh. “It’s really fun to see Michael and Jon Ed Step up in their first rounds at Vanderbilt. They have been waiting on this opportunity, and I know they were pumped. Wells and Ryan also did a great job finding a way today. It was a team effort.”
Downes picked up where he left off in 2024-25, as the sophomore leads the field with seven birdies at the end of Round 1. The Longmeadow, Massachusetts, native raised his game to another level on the back nine, going 5-under with five birdies to close out his day.
Riebe, who is making his collegiate debut this weekend, carded Vanderbilt’s lone eagle on Friday, as he went 2-under on the par-5 Hole 7. The Encinitas, California, native added five birdies to his Round 1 scorecard.
Williams also posted five birdies in his first round of the 2025-26 campaign. The All-American concluded his opening round on a strong note by collecting three birdies over his final nine holes. Freshman Jon Ed Steed tallied a trio of birdies in his inaugural collegiate round to end Friday in a tie for eighth place at 2-under 70.
No. 12 Vanderbilt opens Round 2 of the Carmel Cup on Saturday with a six-stroke lead over second-place TCU and holds a nine-stroke advantage over No. 1-ranked Oklahoma State, which currently occupies third on the team leaderboard.
“Today was a great start, but there’s a lot of golf in front of us,” added Limbaugh. “We have to keep taking pride in how we compete and who we are becoming, because ultimately, pride delivers self-confidence.”
The Dores tee off on Saturday between 11:40 a.m.- 12:32 p.m. CT. Fans can follow Round 2 of the Carmel Cup via live scoring by clicking the link here.
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