BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Vanderbilt men’s golf team picked up a pair of weekly conference awards on Wednesday, as sophomore Ryan Downes was named SEC Co-Golfer of the Week and Jon Ed Steed was selected as SEC Co-Freshman of the Week.
The pair of Dores earn weekly accolades from the SEC after leading the No. 3-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team to its third team title of the fall, as the Commodores won The Bryson Invitational. Vandy carded 30-under 834 at Daniel Island Club, matching the 10th-lowest 54-hole score vs. par in program history.
Downes shares SEC Golfer of the Week honors with LSU’s Árni Sveinsson. It is his first career SEC Golfer of the Week honor, while it is his second weekly accolade from the league, as he was named the SEC Freshman of the Week back on April 9, 2025.
The sophomore posted his first collegiate victory at The Bryson Invitational. Downes won the tournament on his final hole by tapping in a 3-foot putt for par. The Longmeadow, Massachusetts, native carded a career-low 13-under 203 over three rounds of play at Daniel Island Club. Downes capped off his week by posting the lowest round score of the tournament, finishing at 8-under 64 in Round 3. It is the second-best round score of his collegiate career, with only his 10-under 61 performance on the opening day of the 2025 Mason Rudolph Championship besting his performance at The Bryson Invitational.
Steed collected his first career SEC weekly accolade, as he shares SEC Freshman of the Week honors with Dan Hayes of LSU. The first-year Commodore posted a career-low 18-hole score vs. par at The Bryson Invitational, as he finished at 2-under 214 to tie for 26th. Steed collected a team-high four eagles over three rounds of play at the Daniel Island Club this week, two of which came on in Round 3, where he carded a career-best 3-under vs. par to close out the tournament.
Vanderbilt men’s golf is heading into the winter break. The Commodores return to action Feb. 16-18, when they open the 2026 spring season at the Watersound Invitational in Panama City, Florida.
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