The Vanderbilt Men’s Golf team played in its final regular season event of the season in the Mason Rudolph Championship at the par-71 Vanderbilt Legends Club on April 10-12. As well as helping to take home the team title, Gordon Sargent won the individual title by shooting 17 under par, a staggering 8 strokes better than the runner-up.
Sargent, William Moll, Matthew Riedel, Cole Sherwood and Wells Williams were the starters for this tournament. Vanderbilt won their home tournament with a staggering score of 34-under, easily beating the rest of the field.
“Just so very proud of our guys,” head coach Scott Limbaugh said. “They took a lot of pride in finishing the regular season the right way and then went and did it. I think that says a lot about the leadership and the care level of our team.”
This team win marks the sixth victory of the season for the Commodores, the most in program history. Not only was this victory important for the team, but it also makes Sargent the first Vanderbilt men’s golfer to ever win five individual titles. Sargent has already accomplished this feat as a sophomore, making this achievement even more impressive considering he will likely play at least one more year of college golf.
On day one, the team immediately emerged as one of top contenders for the team title, leading the field and shooting 10-under as a team. Sargent led the team with a bogey-free 66. After only one birdie on the front nine, Sargent caught fire on the back nine with four birdies to lead the field after day one. He took advantage of the par-5’s on the back nine, getting birdies on two of the three. Fresh off playing in The Masters, Sargent settled right back into college golf.
Cole Sherwood fired a 4-under 67 on day one to keep himself in the mix for the individual title. Sherwood made six birdies and two bogeys on the day, shooting a collective three-under on the par-5’s. The junior has been impressive this season, and he appeared ready to finish the regular season on a positive note after day one.
Riedel fired a 2-under 69 and Davenport, competing as an individual (and, therefore, not counting towards the team score), fired a 3-under 68 on day one.
“I thought we did a lot of good things out there today. I’m especially excited about how we finished the round really strong,” Limbaugh said.
On day two, the Commodores raced past the rest of the competition.
Sargent and Moll led the charge for Vanderbilt, each firing a jaw-dropping 7-under 64. Sargent made six birdies and an eagle on the 18th hole to gain himself a six stroke lead going into the final day. Moll had eight birdies and one bogey to get back near the top of the leaderboard after an underwhelming 72 on day one.
“Obviously, William did a great job getting momentum early and fighting to not give it back,” Limbaugh said. “He loves to compete, and he wasn’t pleased with how he played Monday so certainly proud of that bounce back.”
Van Paris also put together a fantastic round of 67 on day two.
The Commodores were victorious on day three. With plenty of Vanderbilt fans at the course to cheer on the team, they managed to scorch past the rest of the field and easily cement themselves as the 2023 champions.
Sargent didn’t disappoint on day three, shooting 66 to secure his individual victory. Despite entering the day with a six-stroke lead, he continued to play aggressively, shooting 4-under on his front nine. Despite flirting with the water on his approach on hole 10, he played the back nine slightly more conservatively, shooting 1-under. Sargent was crowned champion once again this season. He played three near flawless rounds of golf, with only two bogeys over the course of the 54 holes.
“Obviously, Gordon showed a ton of competitive character in how he played and responded to last week not going the way he had wanted,” Vandy head coach Scott Limbaugh said. “He was very focused and did an outstanding job committing to his shots and playing the next shot.”
After shooting a 64 on day two, Moll shot a 2-under 69 on day three. With a bogey-free back nine, he was able to place himself in a tie for third after a slow start to the tournament on day one.
Riedel shot 68 on day three, placing himself in a tie for 5th. Riedel fired three rounds in the 60s this week, an indication of consistent, steady golf. Davenport, competing as an individual, also finished in a tie for 5th after a shooting 67 on day three.
Despite a great round on day one, Sherwood didn’t play his best golf on day three, shooting 78 to place him in a tie for 26th. Two costly double bogeys on the back nine on day three eliminated any chance of Sherwood producing a good score. However, Sherwood now has the postseason to display his exceptional golf.
Wells Williams, the freshman, couldn’t quite find his stride this week, finishing at +7 and in a tie for 54th.
Van Paris, competing as an individual, shot a solid 3-under for the tournament to place himself in a tie for 11th. Jansen Preston finished in a tie for 60th.
This week was another record-setter for Vanderbilt Men’s Golf. Sargent once again proved why he is the best player in college golf. Perhaps his professional debut at The Masters has made him an even stronger player. Similarly, Vanderbilt had five players place in the top-15 and four players in the top-5.
Vanderbilt golf fans should feel confident going into postseason play with all players in the starting lineup trending upwards.
“It was a really good regular season, and I’m excited the guys took pride in us regaining momentum this week.” Limbaugh said.
Vanderbilt will next travel to St. Simons Island, Georgia, to compete in the SEC Championships starting on April 19.
