CARLSBAD, Calif. – The No. 11-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team concluded the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship inside the top 10 on the leaderboard, as the Commodores ended Friday’s opening round in a tie for sixth after carding 1-under 287.
Vandy, who is the No 10 seed at the 2026 NCAA Championship, began play at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in the afternoon and successfully battled the Santa Ana winds. The Dores were one of nine teams in the 30-team tournament to card under par on Friday. Vanderbilt took advantage of the calmer conditions as Round 1 went on by carding 1-under on the back nine. The black and gold open Round 2 on Saturday in a tie for sixth place with No. 3 Texas, No. 10 North Carolina and No. 12 Arizona.
A pair of freshmen led the way once again for the Dores, as Will Hartman and Jon Ed Steed rode the momentum of their strong NCAA Regional performance into the first round of the NCAA Championships. The first-year duo carded 2-under 70 in their inaugural round on the North Course at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa to end play in a tie for 15th on the player leaderboard.
“It was exciting for us to come out in the first round and build on the momentum we created last week,” said Scott Limbaugh, Thomas F. Roush, M.D., and Family Vanderbilt Men’s Golf Head Coach. “I’m thrilled for our team. The first day of the national championship is a big day. I’ve got to give a lot of credit to Will and Jon Ed, they looked under control and comfortable all day long. They continue to give us a spark. Looking back at Holes 12 and 13, Wells and Ryan had the ability to fight for pars and keep our momentum. Then we had a couple of excellent putts on Hole 15. The team did a really good job of finishing.”
Steed, who is coming off a career-best 54-hole score of 9-under 204 at the NCAA Athens regional, ended play with a team-high five birdies, while Hartman, who was co-medalist at the Athens Regional after carding 14-under 199 to set the Vandy freshman records for lowest 54-hole total and score vs. par, carded 1-under on three holes.
Senior Wells Williams and sophomore Ryan Downes rounded out the team scoring for the Commodores on Friday. Williams went 1-over 73 in his opening round, while Downes finished 2-over 74.
“I thought Wells did a great job and stayed in his round despite not having his best stuff. And Ryan Downes’competitive character seems to shine in these big moments. He knows how to hang in there,” stated the Vanderbilt head coach.
UCLA ended Round 1 in first place on the team leaderboard after carding 8-under 280. The Bruins open play on Saturday holding a four-stroke lead over the field. Three golfers sit in a tie for first on the player leaderboard after 18 holes of play, as Alabama’s William Jennings, Arizona State’s Connor Williams and San Diego’s Ian Maspat each finished the first round at 6-under 66.
No. 11-ranked Vanderbilt tees off Round 2 of the 2026 NCAA Championship at 9:47 a.m. CT from the 10th tee box. Golf Channel is streaming the first three rounds of the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship via Babygrande Golf. Fans can follow live scoring via Clippd.
“Tomorrow is a great opportunity,” Limbaugh expressed. “We were excited to play today, and we’ve got to come out with that same kind of excitement. I want our guys to play free and light, but play with intention and stay committed.”
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