Jackson Van Paris, a junior on the Vanderbilt Men’s Golf team, finished in the top ten in his first PGA TOUR event, the Puerto Rico Open. Van Paris rallied on Sunday, shooting a final round 64 to move up 40 places in the leaderboard. Van Paris qualified for the tournament by finishing third in the Elite Amateur Series this past summer.
Van Paris opened the event with a 2-under 70 in round one. The amateur started the competition strong with four birdies. In round two, Van Paris shot 70 again, bringing his total to 4-under 140 after two days. As the other players finished their rounds, Van Paris realized that he needed some luck to make the cut and get a tee time for the weekend. Van Paris made the cut when 72 players finished 4-under or better.
With two more rounds of golf guaranteed, Van Paris went into the weekend feeling confident. After shooting 69 in round three, he was tied for 50th into the final round.
Van Paris shot an 8-under 64 in the weekend’s fourth and final round, putting him in a tie for 10th place. This was the lowest round in the event for any player.
Van Paris’ round began with an eagle on the par-5 second hole, and he went on to score three birdies on his front nine. Sitting at 5-under after nine holes was impressive enough, but Van Paris chose to keep his foot on the gas pedal. Three birdies on his final four holes moved him near the top of the scoreboard, and he remained the clubhouse leader for several hours. He concluded the day with no bogeys, six birdies, and an eagle, capping up an impressive PGA TOUR debut.
Van Paris remains a significant contributor to the Vanderbilt Men’s Golf team, and his excellent performance on the professional stage should give the Commodores confidence as they approach postseason action.
Following a strong fall season in which he won the St. Andrews Links Collegiate, Van Paris appears to be establishing himself as a top college golfer. Van Paris is currently ranked No. 25 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, but his standing is anticipated to rise after the Puerto Rico Open is included in his results.
Vanderbilt Men’s Golf will compete in the Pauma Valley Invitational from March 18 to 19 in Pauma Valley, California.
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