Hershey, PA — So what if freshman Matt Burkhart and the Messiah golf program are making their first-ever NCAA Championships appearance?
After three rounds, the size of the stage doesn’t seem to matter.
Burkhart fired an even par 72 at Hershey Links Golf Course Thursday, continuing to compete as an individual after the Falcons narrowly missed the team cut Wednesday afternoon.
Burkhart’s score catapulted him from 20th at the start of the day into a tie for 13th overall in the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championships, with a possible top 10 finish in the mix: Burkhart (+7) will complete his final round Friday, and sits just a shot out of being tied for 10th place in the 182-golfer field.
“It’s pretty incredible how this is going,” said Troy Boone, Messiah head coach. “Matt was just a model of consistency today. There was nothing overly dramatic in his round. It was just a solid 18 holes of golf.”
Perhaps the only kink in Burkart’s Thursday round came as a result of his 7:26 tee time, as the Lancaster, Pa. native bogeyed two of his first four holes.
He then settled into a groove, however, making par on the par-4 14th before birdying the 381-yard, par-4 15th.
He went on to par out on the back side — he started his round on the 10th tee — and birdied both the first and ninth holes to offset a singular bogey on the front.
On the day, Burkhart finished with 11 pars, three birdies and three bogeys.
“I don’t think we got to the course early enough for Matt to feel comfortable, and I think he felt a little rushed as a result,” Boone said. “He really came back to shoot well after an interesting start, though. He battled back and made it a really good day.”
Burkhart’s first birdie came on 15, where he stuck a wedge to within three feet of the pin following a solid drive. He posted a four on the par-five first hole after hitting a nice second shot over a ravene, and birdied the par-five ninth after getting up and down from just off the green.
About the only thing Burkhart failed to do was birdie the par-five 18th, taking par on the 501-yard uphill monster for the second straight day.
“It’s a birdie hole, and Matt feels like that one has gotten away from him so far,” Boone said. “He’ll be anxious for one more chance (Friday).”
Burkhart’s positioning on the leaderboard fluctuated from 20th to 13th throughout his round, while his final-hole birdie cemented his place just outside of the top 10. Three golfers currently sit a stroke ahead of Burkhart, while three athletes are currently at +4.
“Matt is pretty even-keeled,” Boone said. “He doesn’t get too excited or too down. It’s fun to watch how he stays within himself, even on this stage.”
Boone said he was certain not to add any pressure on the Commonwealth Conference Rookie and Player of the Year, picking and choosing when to offer advice and coaching.
“Matt doesn’t need much caddying,” Boone said. “I basically was there to keep him company today. I’d help him a bit on the greens, but it can’t be information overload. You have to know when to step back and let your guy figure it out. I just tried to support him in any way I could.”
Burkhart has now shot scores of 79, 71 and 72 over the three days of the NCAA Championships, and will tee off on the 10th hole at 12:26 p.m. Friday.
Claremont Mudd Scripps Colleges’ Tain Lee is still the individual leader, firing an even-par 72 to remain at five-under for the week. Methodist University leads the team scoring, improving off their Wednesday 290 to post a miraculous 287 Friday.
The Monarchs are currently +24 on the week. Huntingdon College sits in second place at 29-over par.
Fans can follow Burkhart’s Friday scorecard via Live Stats. Additional details and tournament information can be found at the official site of the 2010 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf National Championships.