Pair of Dores Claim SEC Awards

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –  The No. 17/19-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team had a pair of golfers earn SEC weekly honors, as junior Wells Williams was named SEC Co-Golfer of the Week and Ryan Downes was selected SEC Freshman of the Week.

It is the first SEC Golfer of the Week honor for Williams, while it is his second career SEC weekly accolade. The West Point, Mississippi, native was named SEC Freshman of the Week back on March 8, 2023, after winning the 2023 Cabo Collegiate.  Williams shared this week’s SEC Golfer of the Week award with Missouri’s Mattias Varjun.

For Downes, it is his first career weekly honor from the conference.

This week’s selections mark the second and third time that a Commodore has earned a weekly distinction from the SEC this season. The duo joins Rowan Sullivan, who was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on Oct. 23.

Williams earned his first career SEC Golfer of the Week selection after carding a career-best 15-under 198 to win the 2025 Mason Rudolph Championship. The junior’s 54-hole score of 198 is tied for the fifth-lowest three-round total in program history. Additionally, his 15-under vs. par is also tied for the fifth-lowest 54-hole vs. par score ever posted by a Commodore. Williams opened the tournament by carding 8-under 63 to tie for the fifth-lowest 18-hole total in program history. It is the second individual title for Williams this spring, as he won the Southwestern Invitational back on Jan. 29 with a 54-hole total of 5-under 208. In total, it is Williams’ third career collegiate victory, as he also finished first at the 2023 Cabo Collegiate as a freshman.

Downes picked up his first career SEC Freshman of the Week honor after tying the Vanderbilt record for the lowest 18-hole total and single-round score vs. par. The Longmeadow, Massachusetts, native carded 10-under 61 in Round 1 at the 2025 Mason Rudolph Championship. His performance in the opening round led Downes to his second top-10 finish of the 2024-25 campaign, as he concluded the tournament tied for sixth with a career-low three-round score of 9-under 204.

The No. 17/19 Vanderbilt men’s golf team returns to competition April 23-27, when the Commodores head to St. Simons Island, Georgia, for the 2025 SEC Men’s Golf Championship at Sea Island Golf Club.

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