T-Birds Tied in Second Entering the Final Round Nine Strokes off the Lead
The NMJC golf team stumbled in Round 3 at Sand Creek Station. The Thunderbirds shot an even-par 288 on moving day that kept them at 13-under par for the tournament and in a tie for second place with Odessa College.
The Wranglers shot the low round of the tournament at 13-under par to pull even with the T-Birds. Indian Hills extended their lead to nine strokes over the T-Birds this evening after shooting an 8-under par 280 to push them to 22-under for the tournament.
Matthis Lefèvre struggled to get his putts to fall in Round 3. The 36-hole leader made eight pars to begin his round. A birdie on No. 9 moved him to 1-under par and 8-under par for the championship. Lefèvre bogeyed his first hole on the back and made eight straight pars again to close his round with a 72, level for day.
The Frenchman is in sixth place individually at 7-under for the tournament. He trails Midland's Chris Wardrup by three strokes. The Chap is in the lead after shooting rounds of 69-70-67 (-10).
Travis Robbie was the one bright spot for the Thunderbirds on Thursday. Robbie birdied three of his first five holes to spring himself to 3-under par. Robbie bogeyed hole 6 but got a stroke back on No. 9 with a birdie to make the turn at 3-under.
The Aussie birdied 12 to move to 4-under on the day and 7-under for the championship. He dropped a shot on 16 and closed with three straight pars to shoot a 3-under 69. Robbie is currently T-7 at 6-under par.
Will Green could not replicate the same magic he saw in Round 2 on Thursday. Green bogeyed the first and sixth holes to start 2-over through six. He birdied No. 7 and made the turn at 1-over par and 5-under par for the championship. The Englishman made pars on every hole of the back nine to shoot a 1-over 73. Green is T-11 at 5-under par for the championship.
Oskar Blomdahl was the substitute for the T-Birds replacing Jono Boediman. Blomdahl made bogey on three and birdied No. 4. He was level par until No. 7 when he dropped a shot on the long par-3. The Swede finished his front nine 1-over par.
Blomdahl created a spark on the back nine. He birdied 12 and 15 to move into red numbers for the first time in the tournament. Blomdahl headed into No. 18 1-under par for the afternoon. A triple bogey on the last crashed him down to 2-over for a 74.
Tim Chan started his round birdie-bogey-par-birdie and was 1-under through five holes. A bogey on the par-4 sixth dropped him to even. Chan made the turn at even-par and 3-over for the championship.
The back nine was unkind to sophomore in Round 3. Chan began his second nine bogey, bogey, birdie, bogey and was 2-over through 16 holes. The Hong Kong native bogeyed the short par-3 17th and made par at 18 to shoot a 3-over 75.
The T-Birds were one shot off the lead with four holes to go on Thursday. NMJC closed the final four holes at 4-over par, while Indian Hills went 4-under in their final four holes.
The Thunderbirds will have their work cut out for them if they want to bring home the first national title in program history Friday. NMJC is down nine shots as they enter the final round.
The Thunderbirds will tee off Friday, May 19 in rainy weather starting at 1:40 p.m. CDT.
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