NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Vanderbilt men’s golf team stands in a tie for eighth place after the first day of the NCAA East Regional at The Course at Yale.
Only 17 players in the tournament’s field of 75 were under par on Thursday, with Commodores Ryan Haselden and Hudson Johnson among the top competitors. Haselden paced Vanderbilt with a two-under 68 that included four consecutive birdies on holes 16, 17, 18 and 1. The junior sits in a two-way tie for seventh place. Johnson is part of a nine-man tie for ninth place after carding a one-under 69.
“We came out strong until a stumble at the end,” VU Head Coach Tom Shaw said. “We are still in a good spot, though, well within striking distance of the top teams. The guys feel confident despite the finish today.”
With a team score of 285 (+5), Vanderbilt is 11 shots off the pace of seventh-ranked Texas. The Commodores were at even-par until dropping five strokes over the final two holes (Nos. 8 and 9).
Penn State and Kent State are tied for second three shots behind the Longhorns. ETSU is the only other team under par. Alabama shot a one-over 281 to stand in fifth place — the final position which will qualify for the NCAA National Championship.
The Commodores are scheduled to tee off at 8 a.m. ET tomorrow, leaving from the 10th tee with Virginia and Charlotte. The Cavaliers are tied with UCLA for sixth, while Charlotte is even with Vanderbilt in eighth.
Sophomore Trey DelGreco is tied for 40th place after shooting a two-over 72. Senior Chris Rockwell and sophomore Charlie Grace each shot six-over 76’s to tie for 65th place.
The Course at Yale is hosting an NCAA Regional for the fourth time, following appearances in 1991, 1995 and 2004. Coach Shaw played in a regional there in 1991 as a member of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
The 6,749-yard, par-70 layout at the Course At Yale is recognized as one of the finest examples of early American course design. Large, deeply bunkered greens and narrow rolling fairways are the core of Yale’s penalizing character. The course opened for play in 1926 and was designed under the supervision of Charles Blair Macdonald, co-founder of the USGA.
