NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt will be looking to play some of its best golf right in its own backyard this week when it hosts the Kingston Springs Regional at The Golf Club of Tennessee starting Monday as part of the NCAA Tournament.
The Commodores, champions of the SEC, are the No. 3 seed in an 13-team field. The top-five teams left standing Wednesday after three days and three, 18-hole rounds of stroke play will advance to the NCAA Championships starting May 28 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
This week’s Regional is open to the public.
“It’s really exciting for our team to be able to play at home this week in front of our fans,” Vanderbilt head coach and SEC Coach of the Year Scott Limbaugh said. “We are so thankful that The Golf Club of Tennessee is willing to host this event and I believe it will be a great postseason experience for all of the student-athletes.
“It is a great course and it will be a great test for everyone. We appreciate everything the Club, the Nashville Sports Council and Vanderbilt have done to put this together.”
Vandy claimed the SEC team title in April on St. Simons Island after finishing sixth in stroke play and then beating Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas, respectively, in match play. Sophomore William Moll, recently named All-SEC First Team, sank the championship-winning putt on 18 against Arkansas.
Moll will lead the Vanderbilt lineup this week along with Reid Davenport, Matthew Riedel, Cole Sherwood – an SEC All-Freshman team selection – and Michael Shears. Senior Harrison Ott, who won two matches in match play at the SEC Championships, will be available as a substitute.
The Commodores will go up against top-seed Clemson (the No. 3 overall national seed), No. 2 seed North Carolina State and fourth-seeded Arkansas. San Diego State (5), Virginia (6), Charlotte (7), Kent State (8), Texas San Antonio (9), Houston (10), Florida Gulf Coast (11), Loyola of Maryland (12) and Iona (13) round out the field.
James Piot of Michigan State, Ben van Wyk of Augusta, Evan Davis of Belmont, Christopher Gotterup of Rutgers, Hunter Eichhorn of Marquette, Brandon Einstein of High Point, Hunter Fry of South Carolina Upstate, Timothius Tamardi of Appalachian State, Jesus Montenegro of Jacksonville State and Austin Devereux of Rider will join the field competing as individuals.
Vandy is scheduled to tee off at 7:30 a.m. Monday. Live scoring for the event can be found HERE.
“I think our boys are excited for this next opportunity,” Limbaugh said. “This time of year is about believing in each other and being able to focus on the right things at the right times. That’s not always easy to do and it takes a certain amount of toughness.
“This group has played with a lot of consistency this year and we do not have to try to do more. It’s about having faith in each other and having the right competitive character and having some fun.”
The Golf Club of Tennessee will play at a par 71 over 7,074 yards for the Kingston Springs Regional. A Tom Fazio course which opened in 1991 is designed over 317 acres of rolling land in a quiet and pastoral setting featuring zoysia fairways, Bermuda roughs and A1 bent grass greens.
