KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt men’s golf team opens the fall portion of its 2026-27 season on Monday as the Commodores head to the Smoky Mountains for the 2026 Visit Knoxville Collegiate. The two-day tournament takes place Monday and Tuesday at Fox Den Country Club.
Tournament Format and Schedule
The 2026 Visit Knoxville Collegiate, hosted by Tennessee, is a 54-hole stroke play tournament that features five-count-four team scoring. This will be the tournament’s fourth edition, while it is the first time the event will be held at Fox Den Country Club.
The first 36 holes take place on Monday at Fox Den Country Club, teeing off with a 7:30 a.m. CT shotgun start. Play resumes on Tuesday at 7 a.m. CT. A team champion and individual medalist will be awarded at the end of Round 3.
Course Information
The Fox Den Country Club is a 6,962-yard course that plays as a par 70. A venue change to the Visit Knoxville Collegiate was required due to the Volunteers hosting an NCAA Regional in May at the tournament’s usual location, Tennessee National Golf Club.
Tee Times
Vanderbilt tees the first day between 7:30-7:54 a.m. CT from Hole 1. The Commodores will be paired with host Tennessee and South Carolina in Rounds 1 and 2.
Round 3 is slated to tee off at 7 a.m. CT on Tuesday from Holes 1 and 10. If Round 2 continues into Tuesday, Round 3 will begin at the conclusion of the previous round.
Fans can click here for a full list of tee times and pairings for each day.
All tee times and dates are tentative and subject to change. Fans can stay updated on this week’s tournament by following @VandyMGolf on Instagram and Twitter/X.
Live Scoring
Fans can follow all of the action via live results via Scoreboard powered by CLIPPD.
The Field
A total of 17 teams will be at the 2026 Visit Knoxville Collegiate. Teams in attendance at Fox Den Country Club with Vanderbilt are Chattanooga, Charlotte, Georgia, Kentucky, Liberty, Louisville, Memphis, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina, NC State, South Carolina, Toledo, Virginia Tech and host-school Tennessee.
Scott Limbaugh, Thomas F. Roush, M.D., and Family Vanderbilt Men’s Golf Head Coach on the Visit Knoxville Collegiate
“Here we go, we’re ready to start a new season of Vandy golf. I’ve loved what we’ve seen from this team in the short time we've been together. I know they are pumped to get this season going and figure out our purpose. A standard has clearly been set here, and it’s our responsibility to play to that standard.
“We’ve got some young guys raising the bar and pushing the edges, and that makes everyone better. We must have our non-negotiables as a team and for each player. I’m excited to get this journey going and see what we can become.”
Vanderbilt at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate
This will be the first time the Commodores will play in the Visit Knoxville Collegiate. It will also be the first time Vandy will play a competitive round at Fox Den Country Club.
Vanderbilt Lineup
1) Will Hartman – So. – Marvin, N.C. – 2025-26 Scoring Avg: 71.20 – WAGR: 111th
The sophomore leads off the Vanderbilt lineup for the first time in his career to open the 2026 fall season. The Visit Knoxville Collegiate will be the seventh straight tournament that Hartman has been in the lineup after he began his career with four straight individual appearances. The Marvin, North Carolina, native closed his freshman season as one of the hottest collegiate golfers in the country. He tied for fourth at the NCAA Championship to earn a GCAA All-America honorable mention nod, and he shared medalist honors at the NCAA Athens Regional. His 14-under 199 in Athens set the Vanderbilt freshman record for lowest 54-hole total and score vs. par. He ended the 2025-26 campaign with a 6&5 victory in his quarterfinal match at the NCAA Championship by posting the largest margin of victory by a Commodore at the national championship. Over the summer, Hartman had a top-10 finish at the 124th Western Amateur.
2) Michael Riebe – So. – Encinitas, Calif. – Career Scoring Avg: 73.09 – WAGR: 72nd
The Encinitas, California, native makes his 10th appearance in the Vanderbilt lineup to open his sophomore season. Riebe enters the 2026-27 season after a strong summer on the amateur circuit, as he posted a runner-up finish at the 124th Western Amateur and qualified for the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship. His performance over the summer has seen Riebe surge up 37 places in the World Amateur Golf Rankings to No. 72 to start the fall season. The two-time SEC Freshman of the Week is one of three returning individual medalists for Vanderbilt, as his victory at the 2026 Watersound Invitational made him the first Commodore freshman to win a tournament since 2023.
3) Carlos Astiazaran – Sr. – Tucson, Ariz. – Career Scoring Avg: 70.93 – WAGR: 59th
One of two seniors on Vanderbilt’s roster this season, Astiazaran makes the season-opening lineup for the second consecutive fall after transferring in from Pacific a year ago. It will be the fourth time the 2024-25 WCC Golfer of the Year has been featured in the Vanderbilt lineup in his career. He had his score count in five rounds last season and held a scoring average of 74.33. This summer, Astiazaran collected a third-place finish at the Southern Amateur Championship, tied for 14th at the Northeast Amateur Invitational and qualified for the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship. The senior has played in 84 collegiate rounds and collected a pair of victories, both coming in his final season at Pacific. He comes into the season ranked 59th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
4) Tyler Mawhinney – Fr. – Fleming Island, Fla. – Career Scoring Avg: N/A – WAGR: 85th
A member of Vanderbilt’s No. 1-ranked 2026 signing class, Mawhinney will be making his Vandy debut this week. The highly touted first-year Commodore has already picked up his first collegiate honor before taking his first swing for Vanderbilt, as Mawhinney was named to the Fred Haskins Preseason Watch List. Mawhinney reunites with his 2025 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Champion partner Will Hartman in the Music City and comes to the Dores as the No. 2 signee in the Class of 2026 in the Rolex AJGA rankings. Over the summer, Mawhinney advanced to the semifinals at the 78th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, where he collected an 8&7 victory in the quarterfinals. He was also one of five Vanderbilt golfers to compete at the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship. The Fleming Island, Florida, native comes into his freshman season ranked No 85 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
5) Ryan Downes – Jr. – Longmeadow, Mass. – Career Scoring Avg: 71.66 – WAGR: 71st
Downes will make his 19th-straight appearance in the Vandy lineup to open the 2026-27 season. Though a junior, Downes is the elder statesman for the Commodores on the course, having participated in a pair of NCAA Championship, NCAA Regional and SEC Championship events and has had his score count in a team-high 51 rounds. Ended last season by winning his match in the 2026 NCAA Championship quarterfinals, collecting a 4&3 victory. Downes has been featured in Vandy’s lineup 21 times. He tied the Vanderbilt record for lowest 18-hole score vs. par and total, as he carded 10-under 61 in Round 1 of the 2025 Mason Rudolph Championship as a freshman. He holds a scoring average of 71.66 over 70 career rounds, and finished each of his first two seasons with a stroke average under 72. He is one of four golfers in program history to have multiple rounds of 63 or lower. Downes advanced to match play at the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship and competed at the Southern Amateur and Western Amateur. He enters the season ranked No. 71 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. He is one of three returning individual medalists for Vanderbilt, winning The Bryson Invitational to cap off the 2025 fall campaign, which earned him SEC Golfer of the Week honors.
Individual) Jon Ed Steed – So. – Enterprise, Ala. – Career Scoring Avg: 70.95 – WAGR: 113th
Steed will be making his second career appearance as an individual for Vanderbilt to open his sophomore season. The Enterprise, Alabama, native is coming off a spectacular first-year with the Dores that saw Steed earn All-SEC freshman team honors and be selected to the GCAA All-District team. Steed brings a team-best 70.95 scoring average in 37 rounds from a season ago and had 12 rounds in the 60s. He was a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week and had his score count in 31 rounds last season. Over the summer, Steed competed in the Northeast Amateur, North & South Amateur, Southern Amateur and Western Amateur. He enters the season ranked No. 113 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Individual) Bowen Ballis – Jr. – The Woodlands, Texas – Career Scoring Avg: 73.40
The junior will be making his sixth appearance for Vanderbilt, all as an individual. It is the first time that Ballis will travel with the Commodores for a season-opening tournament. Over the summer, Ballis competed in the highly competitive Dogwood Invitational. The Woodlands, Texas, native has played in 15 career rounds for the Dores.
Individual) Luke Colton – Fr. – Frisco, Texas – Career Scoring Avg: N/A – WAGR: 64th
A member of Vanderbilt’s No. 1-ranked 2026 signing class. Colton was the No. 1-ranked golfer in the Class of 2026 according to Golf Channel. The Frisco, Texas, native brings in a highly touted prep resume, as he has helped the United States win the 2025 Junior Ryder Cup and the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup. Last November, Colton was invited to a Walker Cup practice session. Over the summer, the lefty finished fifth at the North & South Amateur Championship and posted a top-20 finish at the Northeast Amateur Invitational and the Southern Amateur Championship. Colton enters his first collegiate season ranked No. 64 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
A Quick Glance at the 2026-27 Vanderbilt Men’s Golf Team
The Commodores enter Year 15 under the direction of Scott Limbaugh, Thomas F. Roush, M.D., and Family Men’s Golf Head Coach. Vanderbilt is coming off its eighth appearance in the quarterfinal match at the NCAA Championship in 2025-26 and returns all but one golfer from last season’s championship roster. For the second-straight season, Vanderbilt brings in the No. 1-ranked signing class, as the Dores welcome in Luke Colton and Tyler Mawhinney. With the return of All-American Will Hartman, All-SEC freshman team selection Jon Ed Steed and an experienced group of upperclassmen that include Carlos Astiazaran, Ryan Downes and Chase Nevins, Vandy should be in the upper echelon of the collegiate golf rankings throughout the season. The Dores are in prime position to return to the NCAA Championship in 2026-27 and compete for the program’s first national title.
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