No. 4 Vanderbilt Men’s Golf competed in its second tournament of the fall season at the Valero Texas Collegiate from Sept. 21-23. The Commodores entered the tournament looking to defend their team title from 2023. After a resilient third round, they finished with a 14-under 850 total, capturing fifth place but falling 16 strokes off the winner, Oklahoma.
Vanderbilt stuck with the same lineup that it used in the Inverness Intercollegiate just a week ago. Gordon Sargent, Jackson Van Paris, John Broderick, Wells Williams and Ryan Downes started, while Rowan Sullivan played as an individual. Sargent, Van Paris and Broderick spearheaded the team’s performance, as they each ended 4-under and finished in a tie for 11th place.
On Day One, Sargent, the No. 3 ranked amateur in the world, shot a season-best 5-under 67 to end the day in a tie for fourth place on the individual leaderboard. The senior started his round well with an eagle on hole No. 2 and birdies on holes No. 4 and No. 5.
Van Paris and Broderick each shot a 3-under 69 to conclude their rounds in the top 10.
“I thought it was a solid start for us today,” head coach Scott Limbaugh said after Day One. “It was good to see Gordon [Sargent] get off to a good start, and I thought Jackson [Van Paris] was steady all day.”
After a great start to the tournament, the ‘Dores lost their momentum on Day Two. The team finished with a 3-over 291 total and fell from fourth to sixth place.
Van Paris, Williams and Downes all carded 1-over 73s. Sullivan made seven birdies en route to a career-low 4-under 68 and moved 28 spots up the individual leaderboard, leading the entire field in birdies through two days of competition with 13.
“Obviously, I’m very proud of Rowan [Sullivan], as he played a really good round and made some key putts,” Limbaugh said. “As a team, we had an opportunity for a good round on a much tougher day, but we didn’t finish to our standards.”
Sargent and Van Paris were tied for 18th at a 2-under 142 total after the second round. Sargent led the tournament in par-5 scoring at 6-under — a spot he gained by getting to the green in two shots consistently. While Van Paris didn’t birdie as much as his counterpart, he was consistent all day, and a bevy of pars contributed to his solid score.
“It’s important to have everyone competing to our standards, staying positive and playing with some spirit,” Limbaugh said ahead of round three.
Williams, Sargent, Van Paris and Broderick all finished under par on the final day, while Downes carded a 72. Williams shot a season-best 3-under 69 in Monday’s finale with an eagle on hole No. 8.
“Great to see Wells [Williams] step up and play closer to his standard today. It really lifted our team up,” Limbaugh said after the tournament ended.
Williams’s stellar round helped him climb 18 spots up the player leaderboard, finishing in a tie for 32nd at an even-par total of 216.
Sargent and Van Paris each finished with a 2-under 70 in round three, each earning birdies on the long par-5 18th hole.
“It was also big to see Gordon [Sargent] and Jackson [Van Paris] in it all day and finish the way they did on the last hole,” Limbaugh said. “They have high expectations for themselves, and we have to help them not try too hard and just allow good golf to happen.”
The Commodores’ performance in the final round boosted them up one spot in the tournament’s standings, and Limabugh’s squad left San Antonio with a fifth-place finish.
“We are climbing as a team right now, and we are doing a lot of good things, but we have to keep taking ownership of our actions,” Limbaugh said. “Our actions determine our outcomes, and great competitors believe in themselves and take ownership of their actions.”
When all was said and done, Sargent, Van Paris and Broderick all shot 4-under 212s. Sullivan, playing individually, carded a 1-under 215 score. Williams’ even 216 and Downes’ 3-over 219 rounded things out for the Commodores.
The Commodores will look to bounce back at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas, from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1.
