Matt Walters Co-Leads, T-Birds in 1st After Round 1 at Nationals
Matt Walters shot an opening-round 4-under 67 to co-lead the 2024 NJCAA Men's Golf Championship alongside three other players following the conclusion of Round 1.
The Thunderbirds lead the national championship at 4-under par. The T-Birds shot 280 for the team score to hold a four-stroke lead over Midland College. NMJC was the only team in the competition to shoot under par on Tuesday afternoon.
Matt Walters is seeking his first win at NMJC in his final event with the school. The sophomore's 4-under 67 is a career low in competition at Rockwind Community Links. Walters was even through his first nine holes going birdie-par-birdie-par on holes 3-6 to hold steady on his front. The South African made pars on his first four holes of the back before turning it on with an eagle on Hole 14 and birdies on No. 16 and No. 18 to shoot 4-under.
Sophomore Travis Robbie finished Round 1 in a tie for 14th place at 1-under par. Robbie caught fire his first seven holes with birdies on Hole 5 and No. 7. He went on to finish bogey-par to open the front at 1-under. Robbie bogeyed No. 12 but bounced back with a birdie on No. 14 to stay in red figures. The Aussie bogeyed Hole 16 to fall to even, however a birdie on No. 18 had him shoot a 1-under 70.
Kalle Svederman ended his first round T-18 at level par shooting 71. Svederman finished the front nine at 2-under with birdies on No. 1, No. 5, and No. 6 as his only dropped shot was Hole 2. The second nine got a little away from Svederman with him bogeying No. 10, 13, 16, and 18. The Swede sprinkled in birdies at No. 12 and No. 14 to shoot 2-over on the back and post an even-par 71.
Freshman Elias Pettersson rallied on the back nine to chase down a 1-over 72 and sit T-24. The card was colorful in the first nine holes for Pettersson. The Swede bogeyed his first hole and then made back-to-back birdies on No. 4 and No. 5 to move to 1-under. Disaster struck in the next four holes that saw him go bogey-double-bogey-bogey to go out at 4-over. Pettersson reeled it in during the back nine with birdies on No. 12, No. 14, and No. 16 to shoot 3-under on the back and post a 1-over 72 as the final member of the team score.
Andrew Park opened Day 1 T-58 with a 4-over 75. The freshman was even through his first seven holes with birdies on No. 1 and No. 6. He bogeyed No. 3, No. 4, No. 8, and No. 9 to shoot 2-over on the front. Park produced three more bogeys on the back and one birdie to shoot 2-over and post a 4-over 75 in the opening round.
The Thunderbirds will begin their second round at 12:45 p.m. MDT on Wednesday, May 15.
