DeSchutter moves into top five at the NJCAA Men's Championships
Newton, KS-There is still a lot of golf to be played, but if Anthony DeSchutter wins the National Championship on Friday, it will be one of the great comeback stories in tournament history. And that's not hyperbole.
After shooting what figured to be a crippling 75 during Tuesday's opening round, the sophomore reversed course, tallying a tournament-low 67 on Wednesday, followed up by a 4-under 68 on an overcast, humid Thursday morning to move within three shots of Midland's Chris Wardrup for the overall individual lead heading into Friday's final round of the 2023 NJCAA Men's Golf National Championships at Sand Creek Station.
"I feel really good," DeSchutter said after the round. "I gave myself a chance, and I am really excited."
And while there were bouts of frustration during the third round (he one-putted on 10), the good moments surely outweighed the bad. He birdied 2, the same hole he eagled on Wednesday. He also birdied No. 9, a challenging 361-yard par 4. On the back, after his bogey on 10, he saved par on 11 and 12 before dropping in birdies on three of his next four holes to finish 4-under for the day. His second and third-round totals: 9-under par to crawl back from a disappointing 3-over on Tuesday.
"Anthony and I spoke prior to the round today, and we both thought he could shoot four or five under par," Head Coach, Phil Terpstra said. "He did that by playing almost a mistake-free round."
DeSchutter, who is one of the most level-headed golfers Terpstra has coached, never lost his cool, even on No. 12, when his approach shot landed just short of the green in the bunker. Yeah, there were a few choice words to himself, but the sophomore stayed collected and saved par, then birdied 13, 14, and 16.
"Unless one of the guys who are still on the course shoots a crazy low score, Anthony will have a chance tomorrow," Terpstra added.
Meantime, despite shooting their highest team score of the tournament (297), Garden City moved up one spot to 16th, keeping the door open for a top-15 finish. Jackson Koksal, who rebounded from an early double bogey on No. 2, played well. He saved par on six straight holes before chipping in for birdie on No. 9. He finished 4-over for the day and is plus-12 for the tournament, which has him tied for 92nd.
Joshua Balson-Scales, who is tied for 58th, recorded his highest score of the championships. He hit into the rough on No. 4, then misplayed his shot onto the green before tapping in for double bogey. Two holes later, he doubled again, turning his early 1-under par into an eye popping 3-over. But he saved par on eight and birdied nine. Still, trouble loomed on the backside when he bogeyed 13, 14, and 17 to finish 5-over for the day.
Tiaan Diedericks is currently tied for 92nd at 12-over after shooting a 78 on Thursday, and Akarachai Sakunlee is sitting in 103rd place after his best round of the tournament: a 4-over 76, which felt much better after he erased three straight bogeys on the back nine with a birdie on the par 3 13th.
Friday's forecast isn't looking promising with rain showers expected throughout the day, which could cause some issues for Garden City, who is expected to tee off around 9:30 a.m.