CARLSBAD, Calif. – It was another record-setting performance for the No. 11-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team on Saturday, as the Commodores posted the lowest 18-hole total and score vs. par at an NCAA Championship by carding 11-under 277 in Round 2.
Vanderbilt, the No. 10 seed at the 2026 NCAA Championship, set numerous program records on Saturday. The Commodores moved up four spots on the team leaderboard in Round 2 to end the day tied for second place with No. 3-ranked Texas, as the Dores hold a two-round score of 12-under 564. The 12-under through 36 holes marks Vandy’s lowest score vs. par through the first two rounds at an NCAA Championship, while the 564 is the second-lowest total.
“It was another exciting day,” said Scott Limbaugh, Thomas F. Roush, M.D., and Family Vanderbilt Men’s Golf Head Coach. “I’m just proud of the team, and the young guys continue to take steps forward. It was a total team effort today. As this tournament progresses, it’s really important for us to have everyone in it, especially on a day like today. Jon Ed and Will continue to do great things, and it was great to see Wells make a bunch of birdies today. He holed some really nice putts, and that gives our team some new energy. I’m super proud of Michael Riebe bouncing back after a tough start yesterday. He played more aggressively today, and he got rewarded for that.”
Teeing off in the morning from Hole 10, the Dores took advantage of the calm conditions on the North Course at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa. Vanderbilt collected 11 birdies as a team on its front nine to sit at 5-under at the turn. The Commodores continued to hit the gas over their final nine holes, as the black and gold went 6-under on their back nine.
“We know when you get that early tee time, you want to come out and be ready,” stated Limbaugh. “We’ve been trying to be moment-driven this week. Today was a new opportunity. We weren’t trying to do anything for the next day. We kept in the moment, and I think that’s the way we’ve been able to gain this momentum. It’s giving our full attention, focus and energy on each shot, each hole, each day.”
Vandy’s score of 11-under 277 on Saturday marked the school's lowest single-round total and score vs. par at an NCAA Championship. The 11-under is also the fifth-best score by the Commodores during the 2025-26 season.
Freshmen Jon Ed Steed and Will Hartman, along with senior Wells Williams, became the first trio of Commodores to card 3-under or lower in the same round at an NCAA Championship. Steed finished Round 2 at a career-low 5-under 67, while Hartman held an 18-hole score of 4-under 68 and Williams finished his day at 3-under 69.
Steed’s score of 5-under 67 set the Vanderbilt freshman record for lowest 18-hole total and score vs. par at an NCAA Championship. His performance on Saturday is second only to Jon Curran’s school-record of 6-under 64 set in Round 1 in 2007. The Enterprise, Alabama, native is the first Vandy golfer to card 5-under or better in a round at an NCAA Championship since Will Gordon did so at the 2019 NCAA Championship. Additionally, Steed’s performance today is the lowest Round 2 score for a Commodore at an NCAA Championship in program history.
Freshman Michael Riebe rounded out the scoring for Vanderbilt on Saturday, as the Encinitas, California, native carded 1-over 73 in front of his home fans. Sophomore Ryan Downes finished at 2-over 74 and enters Sunday with a two-round total of 4-over 148.
Both Steed and Hartman sit inside the top 10 after two days of play. Steed is tied for fourth with a two-round score of 7-under 137. Meanwhile, Hartman is tied for seventh at 6-under 138. Williams is just outside the top 25 heading into Round 3, as his score of 2-under 142 puts him in a tie for 26th.
No. 11-ranked Vanderbilt tees off Round 3 of the 2026 NCAA Championship on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. CT from the first 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.
No. 1-ranked Auburn sits atop the leaderboard with a 36-hole score of 20-under 556. The Tigers hold an eight-stroke lead over the field going into Round 3. Arizona’s Filip Jakubcik holds a two-stroke lead on the player leaderboard at the end of two rounds with a score of 10-under 134.
The top 15 teams at the end of play on Sunday move on to Monday’s Round 4. From there, the top eight teams at the end of stroke play on Monday advance to match play, which begins Tuesday morning.
“We want to get a good afternoon of preparation," said the head coach. "I want our team to be excited for tomorrow. We don’t need to look in the rearview mirror. Everything we want is right in front of us. It’s moving day at the national championship, and we’re excited to have an a.m. tee time. We need to be ready to go.”
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