PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The No. 3-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team tees off the 2026 spring season this week, as the Commodores seek their third team title over the last four seasons at the annual Watersound Invitational. Play takes place Monday through Wednesday at the brand-new The Third Golf Course at the Watersound Club.
Tournament Format
The 2026 Watersound Invitational, one of the premier collegiate events in the nation, will be hosted by Alabama this season. It is a 54-hole stroke play tournament that features one 18-hole round per day. The event begins Monday and runs through Wednesday on The Third Golf Course at the Watersound Club in Panama City, Florida.
Tee Times
Rounds 1 and 2 at the Watersound Invitational begin at 10 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday, while Round 3 tees off at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. All three days will feature a shotgun start. Fans can click the link here for tee times.
Vanderbilt Line Up
1) Wells Williams, Sr.
2) Ryan Downes, So.
3) Michael Riebe, Fr.
4) Carlos Astiazaran, Jr.
5) John Broderick, Sr.
Ind) Will Hartman, Fr.
Ind) Chase Nevins, Jr.
Ind) Jon Ed Steed, Fr.
Course Information
The Third Golf Course is the newest course at the Watersound Club. It was designed by World Golf Hall of Fame member Davis Love III and opened in March of 2025. Known as ‘The Third’, it is a 7,138-yard course that plays as a par 71.
The Field
A total of four teams ranked in the top 25 of the CLIPPD rankings will be at the Watersound Invitational this week. In total, 12 teams will compete at The Third Golf Course.
Along with the No. 3 Commodores teams competing in Panama City this week are No. 8 Arkansas, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 11 Alabama, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Navy, Ohio State, TCU and UConn.
Live Results
Fans can follow all of the action at the 2026 Watersound Invitational via live results on Scoreboard powered by CLIPPD.
Thomas F. Roush, M.D., and Family Vanderbilt Men’s Golf Head Coach Scott Limbaugh on the Watersound Invitational
“It is always exciting to get the spring season started. I know the guys are ready for the opportunity to compete in a tournament. I think we had a great offseason, and it’s exciting to see guys improving and taking ownership of their actions.
“We will be playing a different lineup, which shows the depth of this team. I believe we have a lot of capable guys, and we are going to play the ones who step up and prove themselves to be ready. I want us to be a team that shows up this week with a sense of urgency and a team that is in pursuit. We need to have the confidence to execute, have fun, and compete to our standards.”
The Commodores at the Watersound Invitational
Vanderbilt returns to the Watersound Invitational looking to claim its third team title in the last four seasons. This year’s tournament marks the fourth-straight season Vandy will be at the Watersound Invitational.
The Commodores played in their first Watersound Invitational in 2023 and won the event after carding 38-under 826 to defeat Georgia Tech by one stroke. Vandy returned to the 2024 Watersound Invitational and successfully defended its title by carding 29-under 835 to win by nine strokes. The Dores posted another top-five finish last season after finishing at 11-under 853.
2025 Fall Season Recap
Vanderbilt returns to the course for the first time in 124 days, as the Commodores last competed on Oct. 15, 2025, at The Bryson Invitational in Charleston, South Carolina. Vandy won three team titles in four fall tournaments. Sophomore Ryan Downes captured the team’s lone individual medal during the 2025 fall season, as he won the Bryson Invitational with a 54-hole score of 13-under; 203. Senior Wells Williams posted four top-10 finishes in the fall, and he opens the spring ranked No. 5 in both the PGA TOUR University rankings and CLIPPD rankings, while he is 14th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
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