ATHENS, Ga. – The No. 13-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team rode a hot start all the way through Round 1 at the 2026 NCAA Athens Regional, as the No. 3-seeded Commodores ended the first day in a tie for second place at 7-under 277.
Vandy opened Round 1 of the Athens Regional by carding 8-under 132 on the front nine. The fast start allowed the Dores to end the opening round in a tie for second-place with No. 1-ranked Auburn. Vanderbilt heads into Round 2 just three strokes off the lead, as Louisville opens Round 2 atop the team leaderboard at 10-under 274.
A pair of freshmen led the way for the Commodores on Monday, as Will Hartman and Jon Ed Steed each carded 4-under 67 to end their first round at an NCAA Regional event tied for fourth. Hartman and Steed both collected five birdies on the day. Steed rolled off four-straight birdies on Holes 4-7, while Hartman finished 1-under on three holes on his back nine. Hartman posted the best par-3 score in Round 1 at 2-under, while Steed held the second-lowest par-4 score at 3-under.
“I was proud of the guys coming out this morning ready to play,” said Scott Limbaugh, Thomas F. Roush, M.D., and Family Vanderbilt Men’s Golf Head Coach. “We wanted the freshmen to go out first and get us going, and they were certainly able to do that. Will played a great round and was in control all day long. Jon Ed was steady and consistent, which was big. I thought Wells played great today, and Ryan looked solid most of the day. We know Chase is playing some high-quality golf, and he will be ready for tomorrow.”
Senior Wells Williams carded 1-under 70 during his first round of play at the University of Georgia Golf Course. The West Point, Mississippi, native collected four of his five birdies on the front nine to help the Commodores get off to a quick start in Round 1. Williams goes into Round 2 on Tuesday in a tie for 16th on the player leaderboard.
No. 13 Vanderbilt tees off Round 2 of the 2026 NCAA Athens Regional on Tuesday at 7 a.m. CT. Fans can follow along with live scoring via Scoreboard powered by clippd. Babygrande Golf is streaming all of the Athens Regional for a fee.
“Today was a good start, and our guys stayed present in each shot,” expressed Limbaugh. “This is a course that values missing in the right spot, and we have to continue to do that. Tomorrow is a new opportunity, and we need all five guys excited to compete and stay committed.”
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