Sargent Wins and Match Play Begins

After a back-and-forth all day with Eugenio Chacarra and Chris Gotterup in the last group on the course that culminated in a four-way playoff for the title, Gordon Sargent won the individual national title as a freshman with a 72-hole score of even par. That made him Vanderbilt’s second ever individual national title winner following Ryan Tolbert’s 400-meter hurdle win in 1997. The rest of the team had great days, as well. All five players on the team finished within the top 50 including William Moll and Cole Sherwood who both finished tied for eleventh. Those great performances on the last day of play pushed Vanderbilt into a three-way tie for first and, through a tiebreaker I can’t seem to find anywhere or discern in any way, over the top to claim the one-seed headed into today’s match play quarter and semifinals.

Up first, the Commodores are currently facing off against eight-seed Texas Tech. Four of the five matchups favor the Commodores just by comparing stroke play results, with the fifth being a matchup between Cole Sherwood and Ludvig Aberg who both tied for eleventh in stroke play. If we advance, we will face the winner of Texas-Oklahoma State later in the day. Five-seed Oklahoma State is a slightly top-heavy team compared to four-seed Texas, so I at least would rather see the Cowboys win. Plus, who likes Texas anyways? The Golf Channel is covering the event all day or you can keep up here. As of writing this, three of our matches are tied through 6, 5, and 3 while (official best college golfer in the country) Gordon Sargent and Reid Davenport are both down two through 5 and 4, respectively. I for one have faith, as always, in the Commodores to turn the day around through the next 12 or so holes. Hopefully the rest of the team can get their trophy soon.