Following a second-place finish at the Watersound Invitational, Vanderbilt Men’s Golf travelled south of the border to play in the Cabo Collegiate from March 1-3 at the Twin Dolphin Club in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The course played as a 7,156-yard par-71, and 8 of the 15 teams in the field were ranked in the Clippd coaches’ poll going into the tournament, including the No. 5 Commodores. Donning the Black and Gold were starters Wells Williams, Ryan Downes, Michael Riebe, Jon Ed Steed and John Broderick, while Chase Nevins played as an individual.
Throughout the first round, harsh course conditions got the best of Vanderbilt, as the team shot an 8-over 292. Williams, who is currently ranked No. 5 in the PGA TOUR U leaderboard and on pace to earn a Korn Ferry Tour card, was the only Commodore to find red figures with a round of 2-under 69.
The rest of the squad struggled, though, as Downes and Broderick both posted scores of 4-over, and Riebe was not much better with a 2-over 73.
“Wells [Williams] played solid and continues doing a great job leading our team,” head coach Scott Limbaugh said after the round. “This is a championship course. It takes elite concentration and commitment levels, which make you better. I am excited about us facing some adversity, because ultimately that’s what defines you as a competitor and as a team. If you want to be really good, you have to do hard things together.”
Vanderbilt played much better on the second day, shooting a 1-over 285 to sit in 11th place at the day’s end. Steed had one of his best collegiate rounds yet, shooting 3-under 68 on the day. Downes and Williams both posted scores of even-par, as the latter sat in 14th place individually heading into the final round.
“I know we have some tough guys that I believe in, and we have the opportunity to finish strong,” Limbaugh said. “This is a shared responsibility for all of us, and we have to keep working to decide just how good we want to be. We need to play with passion and have a purpose about us to keep pursuing being the best team we can be. Nobody said it was going to be easy, but it’s always worth it.”
On the final day, no Commodores were able to break par, posting a 9-over 293 to finish the event. Williams shot a 2-over 71 that included an eagle on hole No. 13 to finish the week at even-par and finish in a tie for 21st place for the tournament.
Steed and Downes also had rounds of 2-over and cracked the top 50 of players in the field at 4-over and 6-over throughout the week. Nevins had the best final day of anyone, with a round of 72 that also included an eagle on hole No. 13.
“It’s now up to all of us to respond with actions and embrace getting better,” Limbaugh said. “I know I love this team, and I love how much they care. I’m excited about us getting in the dirt and getting better so we can play closer to our potential.”
Vanderbilt will look to bounce back at the Linger Longer Invitational in Eatonton, GA, from March 20-22.
