June 1, 2015
The Concession Golf Club was literally and figuratively overflowing with potential distractions Monday at the NCAA Championship, but none seemed to faze the focused and confident Vanderbilt golf team.
Indeed, the Commodores took much of the angst for making the eight-team cut for match play out of the equation early, cruising around this monstrous course in three-under par fashion to finish the 72-hole stroke play in second place, just two measly shots off Illinois’ winning pace.  They were the lone team among 29 others to play three rounds under par.
The reward for such stellar play is showdown with the very familiar LSU Tigers, who finished seventh and matched up in the bracket. LSU and Vanderbilt placed 1-2 in last month’s SEC Championship for those needing a reminder. You can bet the Commodores need no such thing.
It’ll be an early wake-up call as the matches begin at 6:00 a.m. CDT.  It’s light here in Bradenton at that time but the night watchman will have just left.
Nothing was going to stop Vanderbilt on this day.  The stifling humidity was expected, the hour-long rain delay in the home stretch not so much. Those television towers, some perched far above the tree line emulating those long-legged cranes dotting the ponds, didn’t bother anyone. The electronic scoreboards that sometimes flashed Vandy’s StarV logo and usually carried up to date standings were supposedly off-limits to Commodore golfers.
Even the start of the round was different, although certainly classy. The customary individual introductions on the first tee were as somber as they were peppy.  After each player was introduced to applause by the starter, the gallery was informed that the golfer was playing in honor of a specific American military hero killed abroad, reading a brief biography of the soldier and creating a moment of silent reflection.
The Black and Gold had a birdie-filled start, quickly zipping up the leader board from fifth while both seizing and flirting with first-place at several points of the round.  The strong contingent of Vanderbilt faithful knew this but the players are often in the dark, although Zack Jaworski admitted afterwards that during the rain delay, an opposing coach read the complete standings to those competitors stuck in a van during the downpour.  So much for mystery.
With a berth in the Elite Eight, it’s on to a new thing for many — match play where there are five head-to-head competitions with a team needing to win three to advance.  The morning winners will play again in the afternoon semi-finals, meaning the already blister-plagued winning gallery will get a 15 mile tour instead of the mere 7.5 miles it requires to hike this beast.
Austrian sophomore Matthias Schwab is well aware of the ins and outs of match play, having competed in many while competing in Europe. His American teammates have less experience, although Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh has the team play similar matches during practice rounds to get a feel for the game.  Total strokes mean nothing, you either win-lose or tie the hole so one big swing of strokes good or bad only counts for one hole.
After Monday’s play was complete, the NCAA Committee announced its annual 15-man All-American honorable mention team – comprised of the tournament’s top 15 finishers. Vanderbilt had an impressive three members of this honor unit — Hunter Stewart, who at 6-under for the four rounds placed third, and Matthias Schwab and Jaworski,who shared 11th place at even par. Later a first-team All-America unit will be announced with Stewart almost a cinch to be named.