MG in 6th after round one of Carmel Cup

First Round Results

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – The number-two ranked Commodores’ men’s golf team opened their 2017-18 campaign on Friday at the world famous Pebble Beach Golf Links and the seventh annual Carmel Cup, finishing the first 18 holes with a total of 357, which is sixth on the team leaderboard after the opening round of play. Junior Patrick Martin carded the team’s best round of the day with a three-under par, bogey-free 69, which places him in a tie for eighth on the individual leader board heading into the second round Saturday on the Monterrey Peninsula.

The Commodores finished their first round strong, counting a combined 12 birdies in the final eight holes with only two bogeys. Senior Theo Humphrey, junior Will Gordon, and freshman Luke Zieman poured in three birdies in that span, while sophomore John Augenstein added two, and Martin one.

Martin’s bogey-free round was one of two in the first round of play, with TCU’s Pierre Mazier being the other. Vanderbilt also counted a 70 from Gordon, a pair of 71’s from Humphrey and Augenstein, and a 76 from Zieman, who finished one-under par in his last 13 holes. The Carmel Cup is formatted as a play-six, count-five tournament.

“I am always intrigued to see how we play the first time out each year,” said Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh. “Today was certainly not our best, but I am thrilled with how the guys hung in there on the final eight holes to post a solid team score and build some momentum going into tomorrow’s round. We were not as sharp as we need to be and didn’t do some simple things as well as we would like, but there were a lot of positives.”

The Commodores are in sixth place on the team leader board, trailing fifth-place Texas Tech by one shot and fourth-place Arkansas by three. Oklahoma State leads the tournament after the first round with a 22-under par, 338.

“I think it’s so important for everyone to stay patient and understand we have to take the right steps as a group,” said Limbaugh. “Everyone has assumed new roles this year and we have to continue to grow into those roles and do a better job in being whatever role you have. In my opinion, that’s how good teams become great.”

The second round of the Carmel Cup continues on Saturday.

6. Vanderbilt – 357
T8. Patrick Martin – 70
T15. Will Gordon – 70
T20. Theo Humphrey – 71
T20. John Augenstein – 71
42. Luke Zieman – 76
43. Andrew Jacobe – 77