PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Senior Jackson Van Paris carded 2-under par 70 to lead the way for the No. 11-ranked Vanderbilt men’s golf team in Round 1 of the Watersound Invitational.
The Pinehurst, North Carolina, native caught fire on the back nine on Monday at Sharks Tooth Golf Club. Van Paris finished 3-under and collected three of his five birdies over his final nine holes in Round 1. The senior opens Tuesday in a tie for sixth place, three strokes off the lead.
“Jackson did a great job after the trouble on the first hole and gave us a round we really had to have,” said Scott Limbaugh, the Thomas F. Roush, M.D. and Family Vanderbilt Men’s Golf Head Coach. “I saw some guys work hard to build some momentum heading into tomorrow.”
The No. 11 Commodores concluded the first day of the Watersound Invitational at 9-over 297 as a team. Vandy heads into Day 2 of the event in 11th place on the team leaderboard.
“I am proud of how we battled today after a really bad start,” added Limbaugh. “Unfortunately, we didn’t show up ready and excited to compete to our standards, and that’s all of our fault. I thought we were being careful and protective, and neither one of those things ever lead to a good mindset. That’s my fault, and I know we can be better going forward.”
Host Florida State leads the 12-team field at 10-under 278 at the end of Round 1. The Seminoles go into Tuesday holding a three-stroke lead over UCLA. FSU’s Gray Albright and Michael Mays sit atop the player leaderboard at 5-under 67 after 18 holes of play.
Due to inclement weather on Wednesday, Rounds 2 and 3 of the Watersound Invitational will take place on Tuesday. Round 2 opens at 8 a.m. with a shotgun start. Golfers will immediately head into Round 3 at the conclusion of their second round. Fans can follow along via live results at GolfStat.com.
“I believe in this group and I love how they compete and how much this team matters to them,” said Limbaugh. “The hope is that we use tough times to make us better and more courageous. We need to be excited about the opportunity to play tomorrow, get off to a good start, and have an aggressive mindset.”
Incoming Dores Playing Strong on Junior Circuit
A pair of Vanderbilt men’s golf signees posted a top-five finish at the AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods at The Woodlands, Texas.
Michael Riebe carded 8-under 208 to finish in a tie for second place. The Encinitas, California, native finished under par…
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