TOLEDO, Ohio – The No. 6-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team had a trio of Commodores finish inside the top 20 at the 18th Inverness Intercollegiate, as Vandy concluded the three-day tournament in a three-way tie for sixth place.
Sophomores Will Hartman and Michael Riebe, along with senior Carlos Astiazaran, each placed in the top 20 at the Inverness Intercollegiate. Hartman tied for sixth with a three-round total of 2-over 215, while Riebe’s 3-over 216 tied him for 12th. Astiazaran’s 54-hole score of 6-over 219 tied him for 19th.
The Commodores once again navigated through rough scoring conditions at the Inverness Club on Tuesday. Vanderbilt ended Round 3 at 4-over 288, allowing the Dores to move up two spots on the team leaderboard and end the 18-team tournament tied for sixth with No. 7 Tennessee and Iowa. The Commodores ended play with a 54-hole score of 20-over 872.
No. 6 Vanderbilt had a standout performance on the back nine to close out the Inverness Intercollegiate. The Commodores carded 4-under as a team over their last nine holes on Tuesday. Vandy collected 12 of its 14 birdies in Round 3 on the back nine.
“It was great to see the resilience the guys showed today on the back nine,” said Scott Limbaugh, the Thomas F. Roush, M.D., and Family Vanderbilt Men’s Golf Head Coach. “It seemed like we kind of had a choice to make as a team on rather to fold up or to fight, and we chose to fight. That is how a team’s character is built, and you begin shaping your identity.
“That doesn’t excuse us for not being ready to go from the start today, so we have to take ownership of it as players and coaches. Michael played a really good round on a day that we had to have it. His iron game was great this week, and that’s what it takes on a major championship course. Will was solid for us again today and continues to find ways to get the job done and trust his ball striking. I’m proud of Tyler and how he responded after being five-over through seven holes today and finding a way to turn it around and give our team a good score.”
By tying for sixth at the Inverness Intercollegiate, Hartman collects his fourth consecutive top-10 finish dating back to last season. The sophomore's par-4 score of 1-over was third-best in the tournament. Hartman had a team-high 10 birdies and held round scores of 72-71-72. He has carded par or lower in 19 of his last 24 rounds heading into his next tournament.
Riebe finished a season-low 3-under 69 in Round 3. The Encinitas, California, native rolled off four-straight birdies on Holes 10-13, as he carded 3-under on the back nine. The sophomore posted his second straight under-par round of the tournament on Tuesday, marking the first time since Riebe won the Watersound Invitational in January that he has had consecutive under-par rounds. By tying for 12th, Riebe posts his first top-15 placement since earning medalist honors at the Watersound, while it is his fourth overall at Vanderbilt.
Astiazaran collected his first top-20 finish at Vanderbilt. The Tucson, Arizona, native was one of three Dores to have an under-par round at the challenging Inverness Club, as he carded a 1-under 70 in Round 2.
Freshman Tyler Mawhinney finished in a tie for 52nd. The Fleming Island, Florida, native closed his second collegiate tournament on a high note, as he went 3-under on his back nine on Tuesday. Sophomore Jon Ed Steed closed out his stay in Toledo in a tie for 74th after he carded 4-over 75 for the second straight day.
No. 2 Auburn captured the team title at the 18th Inverness Intercollegiate with a score of 11-over 863. Toledo’s Bence Bertenyi earned medalist honors on his home course, as he won Toledo’s home tournament with a score of 3-under 210.
No. 6 Vanderbilt returns to action Sept. 28-29 for the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
“We certainly aren’t where we need to be as a team right now, but a lot of the things we have to do better are things we can fix,” Limbaugh stated. “This course was a real challenge, and you have to stay in each process and continue to do it over and over again. When our discipline starts to line up with our talent, we will then begin to be closer to the team we want to be. It’s not common to have talent and discipline, but that’s what it takes to be great. I’m excited to get back and start getting ourselves ready to go compete at one of our majors on our schedule at Colonial.”
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