LEXINGTON, Ky. – Carlos Astiazaran earned his first victory with the Vanderbilt men’s golf team on Tuesday, as the senior tied for first at the 2026 Cullan Brown Collegiate with a three-round score of 9-under 204.
Astiazaran collected his third collegiate victory, finishing at the Cullan Brown Collegiate tied for first with Tennessee’s Christian Pardue. It is the first time the Tucson, Arizona, native has earned medalist honors since winning the Nick Watney Invitational in 2024-25, his final season at Pacific.
The senior held round scores of 69-66-69 through two days of play at the Lexington Country Club. Astiazaran’s 54-hole score of 9-under 204 is the lowest of his Vanderbilt career, while his 5-under 66 in Round 2 marks his best single-round performance as a Commodore.
“It’s always exciting when you see players step up and take advantage of an opportunity,” said Scott Limbaugh, the Thomas F. Roush, M.D., and Family Vanderbilt Men’s Golf Head Coach. “Obviously, Carlos did a great job of that this week, and it’s so exciting to see him get the win. He has the game to really elevate our team, and it will certainly raise the bar as we get ready for our last tournament of the fall.”
Astiazaran becomes the 28th Vanderbilt golfer to win a tournament since 1997, while he is the 18th Commodore to earn medalist honors under Limbaugh. He is the first Dore to win an event this season, and the first since Will Hartman captured first place at the 2026 NCAA Athens Regional back in May.
Vandy sent a total of four golfers to the Bluegrass State to compete at the Cullan Brown Collegiate. Senior Chase Nevins made his season debut and finished in a tie for 36th in the 88-golfer field with a score of 4-over 217. Junior Ryan Downes tied for 65th after going 11-over 224, while junior Bowen Ballis tied for 79th with a score of 17-over 230.
The No. 10-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team returns to action Oct. 18-20 to compete in The Williams Cup presented by STITCH Golf.
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