T-Birds Finish Third in the Southwest Championship
April 14, 2023

T-Birds Finish Third in the Southwest Championship

The T-Bird golf team finished in third place behind Midland and Ranger College at the Southwest Championship in Brownwood, Texas. The Thunderbirds shot a 5-under 54-hole total of 859 (284-286-289) to stumble by six strokes to the Chaps (-11). The Rangers were runner-up's, falling by one stroke at 10-under.

The Thunderbirds were tied for the lead at the turn in the final round. Then things began to unravel. Oskar Blomdahl made three straight bogeys on 12, 13, and 14. Will Green doubled 13 and 16. Tim Chan bogeyed 11, 15, and doubled 16. The T-Birds went 8-over as a team from hole 11 to 18 to fall behind six strokes of the winner Midland College.

Matthis Lefèvre was seeking his 10th win of his T-Bird career at the par-72 Hideout on Friday. Lefèvre was 3-under for the tournament after going 70-71 during day one action. The final round was a battle for the Frenchman. Lefèvre was 3-under for the day through 12 holes.

Back-to-back bogeys on 13 and 14 slowed his momentum. Lefèvre birdied his next two holes to get back up to 3-under. He finished the round with a 3-under 69 to come in a tie for third place at 6-under par. Midland College's Chris Wardrup won the event after shooting 9-under (71-66-70).

Travis Robbie finished in a tie for eighth place shooting a 1-under two-day total of 215 (70-69-76). Unfortunately, Robbie was disqualified following his final round for signing an improper scorecard.

Will Green finished in a tie for 13th place with a three-round total of 217. The freshman was 1-over par for the tournament after going 72-72-73. Green was 2-under par through 12 holes in his final round but a double on 13 and a bogey on 16 pushed him over par after 54 holes.

Individual Diego Prat-Cruza shot a three-round total of 220 to come in a tie for 25th. The sophomore finished the tournament at 4-over par (79-71-70).

Oskar Blomdahl came in 29th place in Brownwood with his 6-over par two-day total of 222 (72-77-73). The freshman was 2-under par in his final round through 11 holes, but three straight bogeys on 12-14 led him to a 1-over par closing 73.

Tim Chan finished in a tie for 33rd place after shooting a 7-over par three-round total of 223 (75-74-74). Chan was even through 14 holes and then went bogey-double to fall to 3-over par. A birdie on the 18th hole salvaged a final-round 74.

Individual Jono Boediman had a tough outing in his first round after recording an opening 80. Boediman followed up the first round by going 75-73 to shoot a 12-over par two-day total of 228 to finish in a tie for 47th.

Carson Hackmann placed 58th in Brownwood with a two-day total of 233. The sophomore shot 17-over par for the tournament (74-83-76). 

Individual Raul Fernandez struggled in the tourney shooting a 32-over par three-round total of 248 (88-80-80).

Midland College leads the WJCAC Championship after two stages. The Chaps finished stage two with a six-round total of 1679. The T-Birds are in second place in the WJCAC Championship after posting a six-round total of 1689. Lefèvre is the leading individual in the championship standings with a 15-under par six-round total of 413. He currently has a three-stroke lead on Midland's Chris Wardrup.

The T-Birds will play their final tournament before nationals play at the NJCAA District 2 Championship in Huntsville, Texas April 24-25 at the Bearkat Course.