T-Birds Bolt up the Leaderboard, Matthis Lefèvre Holds 36-Hole Lead
The Thunderbirds finished Round 2 one stroke off the lead after firing an 11-under par 277 for a two-round total of 563 (-13). Indian Hills leads in the clubhouse after finishing the day with a 4-under par 284 that brought their two-day total to 562 (-14).
The T-Birds 11-under par 277 is the low round of the day and low round of the championship so far in Newton. The Thunderbirds were one of three out of 24 teams to shoot under par Wednesday.
Matthis Lefèvre is the solo 36-hole leader at 7-under par. The Frenchman posted a 3-under par 69 for a two-day total to 137. Lefèvre began his round 3-under through his first four holes with birdies on the first, second, and fourth holes.
Three straight pars brought him to the par-4 eighth hole. A misguided approach over the back of the green led to a double bogey and dropped his score to 1-under par. Lefèvre made a bounce-back birdie at No. 9 to make the turn at 2-under for the day.
The WJCAC Player of the Year made four pars in a row to start the back nine when he dropped a shot on No. 14. The sophomore birdied the par-5 16th and was 2-under for the championship headed into his final hole of the day.
Lefèvre got into trouble once again for the second straight day on 18. His drive put him in the left rough and behind a tree. He was able to hack it out just short of the green and promptly chipped in for birdie to grab the solo lead by a shot and pull NMJC within one stroke of Indian Hills.
"He got away with it and made a beautiful chip-in from short of the green," NMJC golf head coach Jay Rees said. "I've told him we need to play the percentages from now on and take wood or iron off the tee to find the fairway. You can always flight a nice wedge in there instead of having to hit out of the left rough like he has the last two days."
Rees believes that the best is yet to come for Lefèvre.
"Matthis is still yet to have that breakout round for us and I believe he can shoot 5-under or better for us each day," Rees said.
Will Green is T-2 at 6-under par after shooting a 5-under 67 today. The freshman's two-day total is 138 and he is one shot off his teammate Matthis Lefèvre's lead.
Green began the day with a bogey on No. 1 that dropped him to level par for the tournament. After four straight pars, the Englishman recorded his first birdie of the day at the par-4 sixth hole. Green caught on fire with three straight birdies on No. 8, No. 9 and No. 10 to catapult himself up the leaderboard at 3-under for the day and 4-under for the championship.
The freshman gave one back on the 13th hole and fell to 2-under on the day. Green knocked it in close on the par-5 16th hole and cashed in a seven-footer for eagle to jump up to 4-under on the afternoon.
Green stuck it to a foot on the following hole, which moved him to 5-under for the day and 6-under for the championship. A par at the last capped off a spectacular 67, which is the low-round of the tournament so far.
"Will is continuing to have a great ball striking week and is driving the ball well," Rees said. "Will is right there with Matthis, which is where I have always believed he is supposed to be."
Travis Robbie is currently T-9 at 3-under par following a 3-under 69 in the second round. Robbie's round was much more straightforward than the colorful card we saw yesterday. Robbie opened with a par and then went birdie-bogey-bogey-birdie over his next four holes.
Pars on No. 6 and No. 7 kept him at level. Robbie birdied the eighth and parred the ninth to make the turn at 1-under par for the day. The Aussie birdied 10 and 16 to finish the day with a 3-under 69 for a two-day total of 141 (-3).
"In terms of Will and Travis, we talk about being a leader and they have continued to show maturity and show consistency and I am so proud of how far they have come," Rees said. "They look really good out there and a lot of other college coaches are talking about them and that makes me very proud."
Tim Chan is T-50 at Sand Creek Station after finishing his second round with an even-par 72. Chan's two-day total is 147 (+3). The Hong Kong native's day did not get off to an easy start. He bogeyed No. 4, No. 6, and No. 8 to card a 3-over par 39 at the turn.
Chan reeled it in on the back nine. He went bogey-free with birdies on 10, 14, and 17 to finish at level par for the evening.
"I believe Tim is due for two really good ones," Rees said. "He has not played like I know he can play, and he could easily go 5-under 5-under the next two rounds and be in the Top 10."
Jono Boediman posted a 1-over par 73 on Wednesday afternoon and sits at 7-over for the championship with a two-day total of 151.
Boediman got off to a hot start to the day with birdies on hole No. 1 and No. 2. He dropped a shot on hole three that brought him back to 1-under par for the day.
The freshman birdied the par-3 seventh hole a day after he bogeyed the same hole in Round 1. Boediman approached the par-4 ninth hole at 2-under par. He subsequently bogeyed the hole to finish his front nine at 1-under par.
Boediman bogeyed hole 11, birdied 13, bogeyed No. 14, and bogeyed the final hole to shoot a 1-over par 73 on day two. The Australian is in a tie for 88th place after two rounds.
Coach Rees said that he has gotten two serviceable rounds from Boediman, but thinks it is time to give the substitute sixth man Oskar Blomdahl a chance to make an impact for the T-Birds.
"I believe it is time to give Oskar a chance," Rees said. "He is hungry for the opportunity."
Expectations are high for the T-Birds when they tee off on moving day Thursday.
"We need everyone under par and in the red tomorrow with how good the weather forecast is projected to be," Rees said. "We are the only team here that has beaten all the top teams and I truly believe we are the best team here. The T-Birds need to go out and win the day tomorrow and try to separate us from the field on moving day. We have not played our best golf yet!"
The Thunderbirds tee off Thursday, May 18 in the third round of NJCAA DI Men's Golf Championship at 1:40 p.m. CDT.
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