DALTON, Ga. – The UBC Thunderbirds fired their best round so far at the NAIA Championship on Thursday, carding a 298 (+10) for the third best score of the day.
Despite posting the third lowest total, UBC (+37) actually dropped from fourth to fifth in the tournament standings, but narrowed their deficit behind leader Texas Wesleyan (+25) from 14 strokes to 12.
Between the T-Birds and Rams are Dalton State (+26), Columbia College (MO) (+28), and Keiser University (+32).
Individually, all five Thunderbirds golfers are now top 50 in what started as a 156-player field.
Dylan MacDonald (+9) continues to lead the way, holding his exact position from the end of Wednesday's round by firing a 75 (+3) to remain in a tie for 23
rd.
The best T-Birds on Thursday were Mackenzie Bickell and Manu Gandhi, each shooting 73 (+1). Both moved up the individual leaderboard significantly, with Bickell (+10) now tied for 29
th and Gandhi (+12) tied for 34
th.
Close behind are Hudson LaFayette (+13, T37) and John Paul Kahlert (+16, T49), who each carded a 77 (+5) in the third round.
UBC should remain in the same pairings for Friday's final round that they played in on Thursday, beginning on the first hole of the Dalton Golf & Country Club course with five consecutive tee times in ten minute intervals starting at 4:50 a.m. (PT).