ATHENS, Ga. – The No. 13-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team had a record-setting performance in Round 2 of the 2026 NCAA Athens Regional on Tuesday, as the No. 3-seeded Commodores slid into first place on moving day after carding 15-under 269.
A pair of Vanderbilt men’s golf NCAA Regional records were set on Tuesday. The Commodores carded the lowest Round 2 score at an NCAA Regional event at 15-under 269, and freshman Will Hartman posted the best 18-hole total and score vs. par, as he finished the round at 8-under 63.
Vandy climbed into first place at the end of 36 holes of play at the University of Georgia Golf Course, as the Commodores hold a score of 22-under 546. The Dores’ efforts in Round 2 moved them past Louisville for first on the team leaderboard, as Vanderbilt holds a three-stroke lead over the field going into Wednesday’s final round.
“It was a complete round of golf today by our guys,” said Scott Limbaugh, Thomas F. Roush, M.D., and Family Vanderbilt Men’s Golf Head Coach. “We had all five guys in it, which is big. Will and Jon Ed looked in control and had a lot of fun out there. Obviously, Will played a great round and putted really well, which was great to see. Wells was rock solid all day long and did a great job finishing his round strong. Everyone stuck to our game plan and did a good job staying committed and staying positive.”
Tuesday’s performance not only marked the program’s lowest second-round score at an NCAA Regional, but it was also Vanderbilt’s third-lowest 18-hole total and single-round score vs. par ever recorded at an NCAA Regional event.
Hartman had the best single-round performance by a Commodore at an NCAA Regional event on Tuesday. The Marvin, North Carolina, native carded a career-low 8-under 63 to post the lowest round score by a Vanderbilt golfer at an NCAA Regional. The freshman’s score of 63 on Tuesday is tied for the fifth-lowest 18-hole total in program history, while his 8-under is tied for 10th-lowest round score vs. par in program history, while it is tied for the
Vandy’s 15-under 269 also marked the lowest round for the Commodores at an NCAA Regional in 10 years, when Vanderbilt finished at 20-under 268 in Round 3 at the 2016 Franklin Regional at Vanderbilt Legends Club. Additionally, it is the lowest 18-hole score for Vandy at an NCAA Regional away from its home course since 2007, when the Dores carded 21-under 287 in Round 3 of the NCAA West Regional in Tempe, Arizona.
Hartman paces the field through 36 holes of play, as the freshman sits atop the player leaderboard at 12-under 130. The Vandy freshman went bogey-free in Round 2, as Hartman collected a team-best eight birdies.
Vanderbilt has a trio of golfers sitting inside the top 15 at the end of two rounds. Along with Hartman, fellow freshman Jon Ed Steed sits in a tie for fourth after carding 4-under 67 for the second-straight round. Steed holds a 36-hole score of 8-under 134. Senior Wells Williams is tied for 11th after he finished Round 2 at 3-under 68. The West Point, Mississippi, native holds a two-round total of 4-under 138 heading into Wednesday.
Vanderbilt opens Round 3 of the 2026 NCAA Athens Regional in first place. The Commodores enter Wednesday with a three-stroke lead over the field. The Dores tee off at 7 a.m. CT from Hole 1. Fans can follow along with live scoring via Scoreboard powered by clippd. Babygrande Golf is streaming all of the Athens Regional for a fee.
“We have another new opportunity tomorrow to go compete together,” Limbaugh expressed. “Our goal is to be excited and grateful for the moment and play with intention.”
The top five teams from the Athens Regional and the top finishing individual not on an advancing team will move on to the 2026 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship, May 29-June 3 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa North Course in Carlsbad, California.
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