NMMI Sports Press
Two Broncos finished in the top 10 Wednesday at the conclusion of the University of the Southwest Spring Invite at the Rockwind Community Links in Hobbs, powering the team to a third-place finish behind conference foes Midland and Odessa, the top-ranked junior college squads in the country.
Phalatphon “Putter” Viboonviriyasakul finished third individually with a three-round score of 215 on the par 71 course, with a 69 sandwiched between two scores of 73 in the first and third rounds.
Only five players shot any round under 70, including NMMI’s Jackson Hicks who finished fifth and shot a 68 in the final round, the third-best score in the tourney.
Three more Broncos cracked the top 20, with Andreas Skaar (playing as an individual) finishing tied for 11th with a 224, Tyler Jackson at T16 with a 229, and Aden Morales in a tie for 20th at 231.
“The guys competed for all three rounds and really came out focused,” said Bronco golf head coach Kris Ward. “We’ve been talking a lot about how we start and how we finish these tournaments. It was great to have them come out locked in, and after two rounds we were three strokes off the team lead and had put ourselves in a great position to compete over the last 18 holes. Midland played great that last round and we just needed a little more from a few guys, but fell a little short.”
Members of the No. 3 team in the nation, the New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds, were also on hand, but playing as individuals. Giovanni Vezza finished tied for first with Midland’s Oscar Holm Bredkjaer, the No. 3 player in the NJCAA.
Rockwind is the same course where the Institute will face off against some of the best teams in the nation on Monday for the Western Junior College Athletic Conference Championship.
“This was a great momentum boost and the team is really looking forward to going back to Hobbs for the conference tournament,” Ward said. “Rockwind is a place they enjoy playing and it really suits all of their games.”
After that are two national qualifiers in Austin and San Angelo, Texas that will determine if the Broncos will get to compete at Rockwind in May for the NJCAA Championship.