As Vanderbilt closes out its fall this weekend, it’s doing so without Gordon Sargent.
The star senior, who already has clinched a PGA Tour card for this upcoming summer via PGA Tour University’s Accelerated program, did not travel with the team to the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate in Alpharetta, Georgia, because of an unspecified ailment.
“Gordon isn’t feeling well,” Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh said, “and we determined that it was in his best interest to not play this weekend.”
The fast-swinging Sargent has been relatively healthy during his amateur career, which includes an NCAA individual title as a freshman, the No. 1 spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and subsequent McCormack Medal last year, and the designation of becoming the first player to receive a Masters special invitation for winning the NCAA Championship.
However, Sargent hasn’t had the best of semesters. Following a fourth Round-of-64 exit at the U.S. Amateur, Sargent failed to post a top-10 finish in his three college starts this fall and ended up outside the top 30 in two of them. His most recent showing was a T-40 at the Ben Hogan Collegiate.
In Sargent’s absence, the Commodores will lean on senior Jackson Van Paris, who leads the team with two top-10s this fall. Sophomore Chase Nevins is playing in the five spot as he makes his first start.