Army Black Knights Golf Star Wraps Up Action at Thunderbolt Tourney

Army West Point Black Knights golfer Dragon Theam finished off 2024 with his final round at the Thunderbolt Tournament.

Oct 16, 2021; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Army Black Knights logo on sideline equipment during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Army West Point Black Knights golfer Dragon Theam did not finish off 2024 as he would have hoped, as he posted his worst score of the 54-hole Thunderbolt event in Surprise, Ariz., on Wednesday.

The Thunderbolt is an event for players that met initial eligibility for the Patriot All-America Invitational but were unable to get into the field.

Players quality based on being ranked between Nos. 200-400 in the WAGR rankings, selection as a second, third or honorable mention all-Americans from Divisions II, III, NAIA, and NJCAA and selection as an AJGA second team or honorable mention all-Americans.

Theam shot an 81 in the final round at Sterling Grove Golf & Country Club, as he finished in 60th place with a 54-hole score of 228.

He had just one birdie for the round, which was on No. 10. By then he was 5-over, with all of those bogeys coming in a six-hold span. On the back nine he followed the birdie with a bogey and two double-bogeys.

Theam started the round with an 2-under 70, during which he started the round with birdies on three of his four holes. He had five birdies against three bogeys for the round, as he was in contention going into the second round.

There, he was unable to get off to a good start. He found a double-bogey on the first half, had two more bogeys on the front nine and then had two birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey on the back nine to finish with a 77.

During the fall season, he helped Army place 10th in its final event, the Kapolei Invitational in Kapolei, Hawai’i. He finished in 15th place overall with a 54-hole score of 3-over par, tying him with teammate John Heckel Jr.

The senior from Jacksonville, Fla., was a team captain during the 2022-23 season. In previous seasons he’s been Army’s top finisher in the Folds of Honor Collegiate and helped them to a team victory in the 2021 Bucknell Invitational.

The Black Knights return to the links Feb. 23-25 at the Dorado Beach Collegiate at the TPC Dorado in Dorado, Puerto Rico.

In March, Army will play in the Palmetto Intercollegiate in Aiken, S.C., followed by the Schenkel Invitational in Statesboro, Ga.

April takes the Black Knights to the Bush Cup in Durham, N.C., followed by the Mountaineer Invitational in Morgantown, W.V.

The Patriot League championships are set for April 25-27 at Bucknell Golf Club in Lewisburg, Penn.