WINDERMERE, Fla. – The Commodore men’s golf team carded three late birdies in their third round of the Tavistock Collegiate to move into fourth place in the final team standings with a final score of 881 (290-294-297) Tuesday in Windermere, Fla. Freshman Will Gordon registered his first collegiate top five finish with a three-round score of 214 (71-71-72), which was good for a tie for fourth, to lead Vanderbilt. Fellow freshman Patrick Martin ended the tournament in a tie for 11th with a total of 218 (74-70-74), while junior Matthias Schwab finished in a tie for 13th with a 219 (71-73-75) total.
Vanderbilt beat out fifth-place Florida and North Carolina by one shot, and finished three strokes back of third-place California. Illinois won the event with a final score of 865 (286-292-287).
“Every time we have a chance to compete it’s an opportunity for us to grow and gain some valuable building blocks for this team,” said Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh. “I feel like today was a very good building block that can help us down the road. The way the freshmen overcame adversity and stayed patient allowed them to hang in and finish strong in tough conditions, which was important for our team. You have to be able to do that if you want to be the best competitor you can be.”
Arizona State’s Jon Rahm won the individual title with a six-under par, 210 (71-70-69), two shots better than teammate Max Rottluff.
The Tavistock was Vanderbilt’s last fall tournament of the season. The Commodores pick up the clubs again on February 20-21 at the SunTrust Gator Invitational in Gainesville.
“We are not satisfied with where we are and know we have to get better and that’s where our focus will be during the offseason,” said Limbaugh. “The offseason is a great time for us to reflect on the fall season, examine our strengths and weaknesses, and come up with a specific plan going forward for both the team and individually. I know this team really matters to these guys and therefore I know they will be focused on improving.”
4. Vanderbilt – 290-294-297=881
T4. Will Gordon – 71-71-72=214
T11. Patrick Martin – 74-70-74=218
T13. Matthias Schwab – 71-73-75=219
T63. Theo Humphrey – 74-80-79=233
T70. Carson Jacobs – 80-80-76=236
