T-Bird (M-Golf) Earns Auto-Bid to Nationals

The NMJC golf team finished runner-up in the District 2 Championship, South Central District Championship, and WJCAC Championship on Tuesday, April 30.

The Thunderbirds shot 16-under par as a team in the District 2 Championship for a 54-hole total of 848 (281-283-284). NMJC finished second to Odessa College who shot 27-under for a two-day total of 837.

Kalle Svederman was runner-up at the District 2 Championship with a 54-hole score of 9-under par. Svederman was one shot back of winner Sungyeop Cho of Odessa College. The sophomore Swede went 67-69-71 for a three-round total of 207 at the Quicksand Golf Course in San Angelo, Texas. 

Sophomore Travis Robbie put together another great tournament showing this week. Robbie finished tied for fifth after shooting 69-70-69. The Aussie was 8-under for the tournament and finished with a 54-hole total of 208.

Matt Walters was Mr. Consistent for the T-Birds in San Angelo. Walters shot back-to-back even par 72s before closing with a 71 during the final round to shoot 1-under for the tournament. The sophomore shot 215 in three rounds of play to place T-14.

Freshman Andrew Park made his way back into the lineup this week and posted rounds of 73-72-73 to finish 2-over for the championship. Park's two-day total of 218 was good enough to earn himself a tie for 25th.

Elias Pettersson was slowed with a groin injury, which threw him off his game this week. Pettersson was 7-over par through 54 holes and finished T-44 with a 54-hole total of 223. The freshman shot 75-73-75 in San Angelo, Texas. The two 75s match the highest score Pettersson has posted all season.

Henry Drake was the lone individual this week for the T-Birds. Drake struggled early on the course shooting an opening-round 80. The Englishman's next two rounds were successive 74s that resulted in him posting a 12-over par 54-hole total of 228. The freshman finished in a tie for 54th place.

In the South Central District Championship standings, NMJC finished in second place to Odessa College as well.

The South Central standings are an accumulation of the past two tournaments. The six-rounds are added up and together they are used to name a champion and dictate the NJCAA automatic bids. The top five teams earned automatic bids to the NJCAA DI Men's Golf Championship.

NMJC shot 1693 (-35) over six rounds and Odessa shot 1684 (-44) to win the South Central District Championship by nine shots. The next three qualifiers were Midland, Ranger, and Western Texas.

The 2024 WJCAC Championship is an aggregate of the last three tournaments between the WJCAC teams. NMJC (-46) finished second to Odessa College (-57) in the eight round aggregate championship. The Thunderbirds shot a total of 2250, while the Wranglers shot 2239.

Travis Robbie finished tied for second place in the WJCAC individual standings shooting an 18-under 556 over the course of eight rounds. Midland's Logan Zurn shot a 553 (-21) to earn himself WJCAC Player of the Year. Robbie's finish earns himself All-WJCAC honors.

Kalle Svederman placed fifth overall in the WJCAC standings as he shot 557 (-17) over the eight rounds. The Swede earned himself All-WJCAC with his top-10 finish. Elias Petterson (+4) came in a tie for 11th place in the WJCAC, Matt Walters (+5) finished T-13, and Henry Drake (+21) came in 23rd place.   

The T-Birds next tournament will be on their home course at Rockwind Community Links as NMJC hosts the 2024 NJCAA DI Men's Golf Championship May 14-17.