ST. SIMON’S ISLAND, Ga. — The Vanderbilt men’s golf team stands in 10th place after the first 18 holes of the three-day Southeastern Conference Championships at the Frederica Golf Club.
Junior Tyler Matthews paced the Commodores on Friday, shooting an even-par round of 72. Matthews was consistent in the first round, carding only one bogey against 16 pars and a birdie.
The Redmond, Wash., native is currently part of a nine-way tie for eighth place, standing four strokes behind leader Joseph Sykora of Alabama.
Senior Billy Whalen and sophomore Hudson Johnson both stand tied for 30th place in the event. Whalen made the turn at even-par before going three-over on the back to card a 75. After opening with a double-bogey and a bogey, Johnson was able to steady himself and play the final 16 holes at even-par.
Senior Brett Lange is tied for 49th place after finishing with a six-over 78 on the day. Junior Jon Curran carded a seven-over 89 after playing the final three holes at four-over, including a double-bogey on the 18th hole.
The Commodores are scheduled to tee off at 8 a.m. ET Saturday. Vanderbilt will be grouped with Auburn and Arkansas.
Top-ranked Alabama holds a five-stroke lead Georgia and Florida with 36 holes left to play. LSU, Mississippi State and South Carolina round out the top six.
