NASHVILLE, Tenn. – New challenges await the Vanderbilt men’s golf team in the 2024-25 season, as the Commodores feature a healthy mix of veterans while welcoming newcomers to the lineup in pursuit of their 11th-straight NCAA Championship appearance.
Despite graduating a trio of All-Americans from last season, Vandy is in a prime position to its way back to the NCAA Championships. The Dores have become a mainstay at the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship under head coach Scott Limbaugh, who enters his 13th season with Vanderbilt. Coach Limbaugh will rely on a stellar group of returners, while welcoming in an influx of talent to make its way back to the NCAA Championship in May.
“We are enjoying a new journey with a new set of golfers,” Limbaugh expressed. “We’re teaching these new guys what it means to be a Vanderbilt golfer, rather than expecting them to be that. Anytime there are new opportunities, that automatically brings a whole new level of energy to the entire building. We’re excited to see is who going to step up.”
Vanderbilt opens the 2024-25 season ranked inside the top six in all three major preseason collegiate golf polls. The Commodores checked in at No. 3 in Golfweek’s preseason men’s college golf rankings and were selected as the fourth-best team in the nation by the coaches in the Bushnell/Golfweek Preseason Coaches Poll. Golf Channel has the Dores at No. 6 in its preseason rankings.
Vandy returns two golfers from last year’s lineup. Seniors Gordon Sargent and Jackson Van Paris lead the charge for the Commodores, as the All-Americans had a spectacular summer on the amateur circuit. In July, the Vanderbilt duo helped the United States win its first Arnold Palmer Cup on international soil since 2018, while both qualified for match play at the 124th U.S. Amateur Championship in August. More recently, Sargent and Van Paris were named to the 2024-25 Fred Haskins Award Fall Watch List and each golfer has been featured on numerous preseason All-American teams.
In April, Sargent announced he would forgo a spot on the PGA TOUR to return to Vanderbilt. Last October, the Birmingham, Alabama, native became the first golfer to earn his PGA TOUR card via PGA Tour University Accelerated. With Sargent already owning a PGA TOUR card he will not be included in the PGA Tour University rankings this season.
“Gordon returning to Vanderbilt says a lot about who he is and who his family is,” said Limbaugh. “I think we have…
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