April 14, 2016
The #7-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores’ men’s golf team begins postseason play this weekend at the SEC Championship in Sea Island, Ga., where they enter the event as the number three seed. The Commodores will tee off at the par-70, 7,055-yard Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course at 7:30 a.m. ET with number-one seed Georgia and number-two ranked Auburn.
Vanderbilt posted their best finish in their 50-year history at the SEC Championship in 2015 with a three-round total of 10-under par, 830 (276-274-280), which tied the Commodores with South Carolina for second place. Vanderbilt’s previous-best finishes at the SEC Championship came in 2002 and 2004, when the Commodores finished in fourth place on both occasions.
The Commodores will send junior Matthias Schwab, freshmen Patrick Martin and Will Gordon, sophomore Theo Humphrey, and senior Carson Jacobs to Sea Island to compete this weekend.
“It is always fun to be in Sea Island for this championship because you have an opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the nation on a great golf course,” said Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh. “We have been working to improve since our last event and challenging the guys to focus on what each one has to do individually to be the best player they can be. I think with the forecast for the first couple of days it is going to test our attitudes, our toughness, and our ability to overcome some adversity. It will be important for us to embrace those challenges if we want to take another step towards being the team we want to be. I am excited for the opportunity we have this week.”
This weekend’s championship will feature eight of the top 25 teams in college golf, with Georgia being ranked fourth to lead all SEC teams. Other top 25 teams, besides the Commodores, includes #6 Auburn, #13 South Carolina, #14 LSU, #17 Alabama, #18 Florida, and #23 Arkansas.
Eighteen holes will be played Friday through Sunday at the Seaside Course, with live stats found on Golfstat.com throughout the weekend.
Other Commodore Notes Heading Into SEC Championship:
Limbaugh in fourth season
Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh, who is in his fourth season with the Commodores, has led Vanderbilt to ten team titles in his tenure, including four in 2015-16 – the DICK’s Sporting Goods Challenge, the Schenkel Invitational, the FarmLinks Collegiate Match Play, and the Mason Rudolph Championship – the most in a single season in the history of the program. Last season, Limbaugh led the Commodores to their third consecutive regional and second consecutive NCAA Championship for only the second time in the program’s history. Vanderbilt finished second in the stroke play portion of the NCAA Championship for their best finish ever and finished in a tie for fifth in their first appearance in match play. Limbaugh was named as one of five finalists for the Dave Williams Collegiate Coach of the Year last season.
Three Under 71 stroke average
Three Commodores are averaging less than 71 strokes per round, with junior Matthias Schwab leading the way with a 70.54 stroke average. Freshmen Will Gordon (70.63) and Patrick Martin (70.71) are each averaging under 71 strokes per round. Combined, the three have won two individual championships, carded seven top five finishes, and posted 14 top 10’s.
Gordon shoots 63 – Twice
Freshman Will Gordon has carded two final round 63’s – one at the SunTrust Gator Invitational and one at the Schenkel Invitational – this season, which ties for the lowest round in the SEC this year. Florida freshman Sam Horschel also carded a 63 in the first round of the SunTrust Gator Invitational.
Dores not afraid to go low
In all so far this season, the Commodores have counted 30 rounds in the 60’s.
Match Play success
Vanderbilt is 3-0 in match play this season, with the Commoodores garnering wins over Virginia at the DICK’s Collegiate Challenge Cup and two wins at the FarmLinks Collegiate Match Play over Georgia Tech and Auburn, respectively. Schwab, Martin, and Gordon are the three Commodores who have competed in all three matches, and combined, the three have an 8-1 record. Martin, who is 3-0 on the season in match play, defeated Michael Johnson of Auburn, the number three-ranked player in the nation according to Golfstat.com, 6 & 5 in the finals of the FarmLinks Collegiate Match Play.