SILVIS, Ill. – The UBC Thunderbirds (+19) battled strong winds and plenty of rain through the first round of the NAIA Championship at TPC Deere Run, climbing the standings over the back nine to finish in a tie for 15
th place.
The T-Birds have their work cut out for them in their second round on Wednesday, as only the top-15 schools in the 29-team field advance to Thursday and Friday's final rounds, meaning UBC sits directly on the cut line after the first day.
The 'Birds were led by first-year Leighton Wright (70 E), who began his day with a birdie and managed to stay at or below par from start to finish, despite the brutal conditions wreaking havoc on those around him. The first-year finished tied for ninth and just two shots shy of the lead. Four players are tied for first with opening rounds of 68 (-2).
Behind Wright was fellow first-year Tim Hachey (75, +5), who birdied three of his final five holes to surge up to the top half of the 156-player leaderboard, sitting tied for 65th. The team's two on-course captains, Jake Houston and Aneesh Kaura, finished with matching rounds of 77 (+7) to sit in 97th, while Manpreet Lalh carded a 79 (+9) for a 125th place showing in his NAIA Championship debut.
The blue and gold are back at it bright and early on Wednesday, teeing off from the 10
th hole in 10-minute intervals, starting at 5:20 a.m. (PT).