The Vanderbilt men’s golf team will begin its NCAA postseason on May 19 as the No. 13-ranked Commodores compete in the 2026 NCAA Athens Regional at the University of Georgia Golf Course.
The event is significant for Vanderbilt, marking its 19th overall appearance and its 13th consecutive season earning a regional bid. The top five teams and the top individual from a non-advancing team at this regional will qualify for the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship scheduled to take place later this month in Carlsbad, California.
Teams will play one round of stroke play each day from Monday through Wednesday, with opening tee times set for 7 a.m. Central Time. Vanderbilt’s lineup includes Wells Williams, Ryan Downes, Chase Nevins, Jon Ed Steed, and Will Hartman, with Michael Riebe serving as substitute. Head Coach Scott Limbaugh said about the upcoming competition: “We have had a nice few weeks to prepare to begin this NCAA Regional. This is such a fun time of year, and I know our guys are ready to get going. Our goal is to be moment-driven, be light, and attack each day together. My request has been that we are elite responders, so we can quickly reset and focus on the next play. I like this golf course a lot, and I know it rewards patience along with good ball striking.“
The field consists of thirteen teams including Auburn (top seed), Illinois (second seed), BYU (fourth seed), Georgia (host), Louisville, Kansas, Northwestern, Charleston, Rice, Southern Miss., Harvard and Howard; ten individuals from other schools also join.
Vanderbilt has advanced out of regionals in each of the last eleven seasons under Limbaugh’s leadership—part of fourteen total championship appearances—and captured three regional titles in program history including back-to-back wins during the Kingston Springs (2021) and Palm Beach Gardens (2022) campaigns. Last year they finished runner-up at Amherst Regional while Jackson Van Paris won individual honors; William Moll did so at West Lafayette in 2024.
Fans can follow live results via Scoreboard powered by CLIPPD or watch streaming coverage provided by Babygrande Golf.
