The Vanderbilt men's golf squad completed its fall schedule on Tuesday with Western Carolina University's Hummingbird Intercollegiate tournament. The Commodores put forth an exceptional effort, finishing second out of 14.
At the Country Club of Sapphire Valley in Sapphire, N.C., junior Hudson Johnson led the Commodores with a first-place performance. He stood one stroke behind at the end of Monday's penultimate round after shooting a 68 (3-under-par).
In the final session of play, Johnson notched a 65, good enough for 6-under-par. The Texas product came from four behind with as many holes to play. Spearheaded by a hole-in-one on the 16th, Johnson went on to birdie the 18th and surpass David Johnson of the University of Central Florida.
Success, however, was not limited. Four other Commodores finished in the top 20.
Tying for fourth, senior Tyler Matthews followed Johnson on the heels of a 68-stroke final round, ending at 2-under-par. Sophomore Ryan Haselden broke into the top 10 at a tie for sixth with an even performance. Junior Chris Rockwell (12th) and sophomore Adam Hofmann (19th) rounded out the scoring golfers.
The Commodores seek to take the momentum of Tuesday's performance into the winter break. The 2009 season begins in Orlando for the Rio Pinar Intercollegiate, toward the end of February.
On the women's side, the Commodores rounded out the 2008 fall schedule as well earlier in the week at the National Golf Coaches' Association Match Play Championship. In an extremely difficult field, the Kissimmee, Fla., tournament featured second-ranked UCLA, third-ranked Southern California, fourth-ranked Virginia, fifth-ranked Alabama and eight-ranked Duke.
Placing 15th in the consolation bracket, coach Greg Allen's unit defeated then-fourth Georgia. Junior Brooke Goodwin, sophomore Megan Grehan and true freshmen Andrea Messer and Marina Alex turned in individual victories versus the Bulldogs.
In the semifinals, Vanderbilt moved passed Texas A&M with a 2-1-2 final. After a rough defeat earlier in the day, senior all-American Jacqui Concolino rallied to tie, preserving the victory.
In the finals, the Dores fell to the Golden Flashes of Kent State 4-1, concluding NGCA activity at 2-1. Alex paced the squad again, with a 4-2 performance.
Like the men, the women's team will take a four-month hiatus. In early March of 2009, women's golf begins the 2009 line-up in North Carolina for the Pinehurst Challenge.
