Sargent the SEC Player of the Year

Vandy sophomore tabbed league's best

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For the sixth time in program history a Vanderbilt student-athlete has been named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.

Gordon Sargent was given that honor Thursday in an announcement by the league. Sargent joins John Augenstein (2020), Will Gordon (2019), Theo Humphrey (2018), Hunter Stewart (2015) and Brandt Snedeker (2003) as Commodores to win the prestigious award.

The defending national champion and 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year, Sargent’s memorable 2022-23 season has included competing at the Masters Tournament in April where he played 36 holes. He is a finalist for the Ben Hogan Award, ranked No. 1 in the Palmer Cup Rankings, a five-time SEC Golfer of the Week and Vanderbilt’s all-time leader in career wins (5).

Sargent, the SwingU College Player of the Month in February, won the Mason Rudolph Championship, John Hayt Invitational and East Lake Cup this season. Sargent and Augenstein are the only two Commodores to ever win both SEC Player and Freshman of the Year honors.

Sargent played in nine regular-season tournaments this season and has a scoring average of 67.8 in 28 rounds. He hasn’t finished worse than seventh in any collegiate event.

Along with Sargent, Vandy’s William Moll and Matthew Riedel were named First Team All-SEC. Moll had three-straight top-three finishes to end the regular season and won the Frederica Cup in September while Riedel carded four top-10 finishes during the regular season and won the individual portion of SEC Match Play in September.

Riedel was also named to the Community Service Team.

Cole Sherwood earned Second Team All-SEC honors. The junior had four top-10 finishes during the regular season with an average score of 70.7.

Wells Williams earned a spot on the All-Freshman team after his stellar debut campaign with the Dores. Williams won the Cabo Collegiate in March and finished with 71.9 stroke average during the regular season.

Vanderbilt begins its run in the NCAA Tournament on Monday in the Auburn Regional in Auburn, Alabama.