Army Black Knights Golfer Seeks Strong Finish at Thunderbolt Tourney

Army West Point Black Knights golfer Dragon Theam is spending his holiday break out in the desert at the Thunderbolt.

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 has completed two rounds at the Thunderbolt event in Surprise, Ariz., and is hoping to finish Tuesday’s final round with a surge to move up the leaderboard.

After the first two rounds he is tied for 50th at 3-over par, with rounds of 70 and 77 for a total score of 147 at Sterling Grove Golf & Country Club. It will be hard to catch the co-leaders, who are at 8-under on the par-72 course.

Theam got off to a rough start with a double-bogey on the first hole, and after two more bogeys on the front nine he was 4-over par. He managed two birdies on the back nine, but that was offset by a bogey and a double-bogey, the latter of which wrapped up his round.

That was after a 2-under 70 in the first round, as he had three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine and then came back to the clubhouse at 2-under, with birdies on Nos. 10 and 11.

During the fall season, he helped Army to a on Thursday and placed 10th place finish 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 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. 200-44 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.

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.