Commodores lead SEC Championship

First Round Results

SEA ISLAND, Ga. – As has been the custom with Scott Limbaugh-led teams throughout his six-year tenure with the Commodores, Vanderbilt once again posted a strong back nine to move up to the top spot of the team leader board with a four-under par, 276 total after the first round of play at the SEC Championship at the Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course Wednesday afternoon. Three Commodores, senior Theo Humphrey, junior Will Gordon, and sophomore John Augenstein are in the top ten individually, with Humphrey and Gordon leading the way for Vanderbilt after each posted a two-under par 68, which ties them for third. Augenstein is in a tie for eighth after carding a one-under par 69.

Vanderbilt finished the back nine counting a combined four-under par, the best by any team on Wednesday. In fact, the Commodores were the only team under par in the first round and lead second place Tennessee and Auburn by four shots heading into play on Thursday. The Volunteers and Tigers each carded an even-par, 280.

The Commodores’ other counting score on Wednesday came from junior Patrick Martin, who rebounded with a one-over par 71 after bogeying his first four holes by birdieing four of his next 11 holes to get back to even par. A bogey on the 17th pushed his total to his final score of 71 for the day.

“We knew it was going to be a long day and one not like we have had before with the practice round and first round in same day,” said Limbaugh. “My challenge to the guys was simply to have a good attitude about it going in and they did that this morning and it helped, in my opinion, this afternoon. They did a great job battling and I thought finished the round strong. It was pretty windy and the greens are good and firm so it was a great test out there today. Patrick got off to a tough start and I thought him hanging in there, being resilient, and coming back was huge for him today and huge for our team. Will and John played very solid today and putted well, which allowed them to keep momentum most of the day. Theo was right there for us again today which definitely gave us a lift.”

Individually, Humphrey and Gordon trail individual leader Luis Gagne of LSU by two shots and second-place Lorenzo Scales of Tennessee by one.

The Commodores will tee off at 8:10 CT with Tennessee and Auburn off the number one tee at the par-70, 7,005 yard Seaside Course.

“Today was a good start for us and we need to take the same competitive character out there tomorrow and continue to be excited about this opportunity we have this week,” added Limbaugh. “We have to continue to be tough enough to focus on the right things.”

1. Vanderbilt – 276
T3. Theo Humphrey – 68
T3. Will Gordon – 68
T8. John Augenstein – 69
T18. Patrick Martin – 71
T68. Mason Greenberg – 79