The Vanderbilt Women’s Golf team secured its first victory of the season at the Carmel Cup in Pebble Beach, Calif. It was the Commodores’ third consecutive appearance in the annual tournament and first-ever win. The three-day tournament featured a handful of competitive teams including Arkansas, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas Tech.
Vanderbilt took home the title after shooting a 21-over team total, defeating second-place Arkansas by two strokes.
“I really can’t think of a better way to get the season started than having the opportunity to play Pebble Beach,” head coach Greg Allen said. “We are very grateful for everyone that makes this possible for our young ladies. It’s truly one of the most special weekends of the year.”
After placing 20th at the NCAA Championships last spring, the ‘Dores rode some momentum into this season.
The Commodores began the tournament strong, ending Day 1 tied with Texas A&M for third place with an 8-over team total. First-year Angelina Tolentino led the effort, finishing the day tied for seventh place with a 1-under 71. Junior Tillie Claggett and sophomores Sara Im and Ava Merill finished in a tie for 12th after each shot 2-over 74.
“I am super proud of Angelina [Tolentino] for shooting under par in her first college event and at Pebble Beach,” Allen said. “That’s something she’ll never forget.”
Day 2 featured more solid play by the Commodores as they maintained their third-place position with a cumulative 18-over team total. They led Texas A&M by one stroke and trailed Arkansas by two. Vanderbilt’s attack was again led by the young Tolentino, who shot another 1-under 71 to vault up the leaderboard into third place individually.
“It was another really good day for Angelina as she continues to impress everyone,” Allen said.
Junior Lynn Lim shot an even-par, landing her in 11th place. Sophomore Charlene Chung finished with a 3-over 75.
“It was nice to see Lynn [Lim] step up today and Charlene [Chung] came up big for us too,” Allen said “We saw a tough Pebble Beach on the back nine this afternoon as it played straight into the wind.”
On Day 3, the Commodores jumped from third to first place, passing both Mississippi State and Arkansas. Tolentino shot a 71 to finish with a 3-under cumulative score for the tournament and earned a top-five finish. Lim capped off her weekend with a 3-under 69 to finish in a tie for seventh place.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these young ladies with how they hung in there and played with a lot of determination today,” Allen said.
Alongside Lim and Tolentino, Im shot a 2-under 70 on Sunday to climb into 10th place. Chung rounded out her weekend with a 76, while Merrill shot a 77. Claggett ended her tournament with an 82.
“Angelina [Tolentino] played like a seasoned veteran all weekend and especially today, and what great rounds from Lynn [Lim] and Sara [Im],” Allen said. “Those were huge for us today.”
This was the Commodores’ first-ever win at the Carmel Cup following a fourth-place finish in 2023. Tolentino’s top-five finish was the first for a Vanderbilt golfer in a tournament debut since the 2018 season.
Vanderbilt will be back in action as it plays host during the Mason Rudolph Championship at the Vanderbilt Legends Club from Sept. 20-22. The Commodores will look to defend that title and earn back-to-back victories for the first time in five seasons.
