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New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds
NMJC Golf Finishes T-3 in El Paso
February 14, 2023

NMJC Golf Finishes T-3 in El Paso

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The New Mexico Junior College men's golf team finished in a tie for third place shooting a 37-over par 613 (308-305) at the Cactus Thaw tournament in El Paso, Texas. Painted Dunes Desert GC hosted the 36-hole event in breezy conditions Feb. 13-14.  

DII Western New Mexico won the tournament shooting a 28-over par total of 604 (303-301). The low junior college participant was second place Odessa College with a 35-over par 611. Garden City CC finished in a tie for third with the T-Birds after shooting a 37-over par 613 (304-309).

The Thunderbird golf team started the event 5-under par through five holes. Then the wind became a factor. Gusts reached up to 60 mph during the next four holes, which led to the tournament suspending play for the rest of the afternoon due to conditions. The four holes NMJC played before play was stopped resulted in a 10-over par team score. 

The next morning the Thunderbirds finished their first round shooting a 20-over par 308, putting them in fourth place for the tournament. The second round was slightly better scoring wise with the winds blowing 20-25 mph. The T-Birds grinded out a third-place finish after shooting a 17-over par 305 for a 36-hole total of +37 (613).

Garden City's Anthony DeSchutte won the individual medalist honors by shooting a 1-under par 143 (72-71). 

Matthis Lefèvre shot a 4-over par 148 (73-75) to finish as the low Thunderbird in fourth place. ​​Lefèvre headed into the 15th hole with a share of the lead with DeSchutt but a triple, par, bogey, par finish cost the seven-time winner a shot at an eighth title.

Freshman Travis Robbie came in a tie for eighth place with a 10-over par two-round total of 154 (77-77). Englishman Will Green was also 10-over par and in eighth place with a two-day total of 154 (79-75).

Sophomore Tim Chan finished in 20th place at 14-over par for a two-round total of 158 (80-78). The fifth man in the Thunderbird lineup was spring newcomer Oskar Blomdahl. The Swede finished in a tie for 25th shooting a 17-over par 161 (79-82). 

Leading the individuals for the T-Birds was Jono Boediman with a 10-over par eighth-place finish. The Australian shot a two-round total of 154 (78-76). Carson Hackmann initially struggled shooting 12-over par 84 in the first round, however he followed the first-round score with a 1-under 71 to come in a tie for 12th place and shoot a two-day 11-over par total of 155.

Freshman Perry Bucay finished in a tie for 16th place with a two-round total of 157 (81-76) to shoot a 13-over par. South African Matt Walters was 16-over par and in a tie for 23rd place after shooting 160 (80-80) in El Paso.

South Korean Freshman Rio Jang fired an 18-over par 162 (76-86) to finish in 28th place for the tournament. Freshman Javier Nguyen posted a 19-over two-day total of 163 (77-86) to finish in 29th place. 

Freshman Raul Fernandez was 21-over par in El Paso. He shot a 165 (80-85) to finish in a tie for 30th.  

Diego Prat-Cruza rounded out the lineup of individuals in 35th place. The Spaniard was 27-over par and posted a two-round scorecard of 171 (86-85).

NMJC golf will be back in action at the T-Bird Invitational in Hobbs, NM. The 36-hole home event will be held at Rockwind Community Links (Par-72) Feb. 24-25.