DALTON, Ga. – The defending national champion and No.6-ranked UBC Thunderbirds (+11) are fifth in the 30-team field after the first of four rounds at the 2024 NAIA Men's Golf Championship.
UBC was first on the tee for the tournament's opening round, getting no favours as the defending title holders flying as far as anyone for the event, with the first T-Bird teeing at 4:30 a.m. Vancouver time, 7:30 a.m. ET, on Tuesday.
The 'Birds are eight strokes off of the lead, currently held by Keiser University (+3), the winner of last's week's
2024 NAIA Women's Golf Championship, in which UBC finished third.
Between UBC and Keiser is second-place St. Thomas (Florida) (+4), as well as Dalton State (+7) and Texas Wesleyan (+7), tied for third.
Individually, captain Mackenzie Bickell (72, E) is in a tie for 10
th in the 156-player field, sitting two strokes off of the lead. He's followed by Cascade Conference Co-Player of the Year Dylan MacDonald (74, +2) tied for 22nd, Hudson LaFayette (76, +4) tied for 43rd, and the other Cascade Conference Co-Player of the Year, freshman Manu Gandhi (77, +5) who is tied for 60th in the bunched-up table.
The T-Birds have a chance to catch a bit more sleep ahead of their second round, with UBC's five consecutive tee times leading off the afternoon (local time) groups on Wednesday, starting at 9:30 a.m. (PT).
Following that round the field will be cut in half, with only the top-15 teams and top-six players who did not qualify with their team advancing to the final two rounds on Thursday and Friday. The 'Birds sit 12 strokes clear of the cut line after round one.