The 17th ranked Barton Community College men's golf team played solid golf throughout the three rounds of the KJCCC Championship in placing 3rd overall Tuesday for its best team finish since 2018.
The Cougars opened Monday's morning round with a 303 to stand in a tie for 4th, carding another 303 round in the afternoon moving into third by one stroke.
Returning to Newton's Sand Creek Station Golf Course early Tuesday morning, the Cougars were paired with top ranked Hutchinson and 4th ranked Dodge City in holding their own with a 295 card solidifying their 3rd place position at 37-over 901.
The Blue Dragons secured their fourth straight conference championship in shooting 3-over 867 across the two days of action, Dodge City sixteen strokes behind at 19-over 883.
Barton separated itself down the stretch in finishing six strokes ahead of 13th ranked Garden City and thirty strokes ahead of Hesston College who sat in the third spot after the opening round.
National tournament implications will be on the line in Barton's next tournament coming April 24-25 as the Cougars and fellow conference teams compete in the Region VI/Central District Championships held on the north course of Wichita's Crestview County Club.
Worathan Thammachokecharoen led three Cougars finishing in the top fifteen of the Championship with a 3rd placing for the highest Barton individual finish since Natchapol "Putter" Srinoon won the event in 2015.
The placing vaulted Thammachokecharoen into a tie for 7th of the final KJCCC season standings to earn 2nd Team All-Conference honors in following Tom Gehring's same achievement last season. 2023 KJCCC Team Standings and All-KJCCC Teams
Tied for the lead after day one with a pair of 1-under rounds and thru the first nine holes of the final round, Thammachokecharoen's title chase slipped by coming down the stretch as the freshman finished the round with a 2-over 74 for an even par 216. Hutchinson's Alex Lindstrom pulled away in the final nine holes in capturing the tile on a 2-under round to win by fourth strokes at 4-under 212. Dodge City's Supakit Seelanagae also closed with a 2-under round to edge Thammachokecharoen by one stroke for the runner-up spot at 1-under 215.
Otto Heden fired a final round 1-under par to complete a twenty spot climb up the leaderboard into a 12th place tie at 7-over 223. Heden found himself in 35th after Monday's morning round of 8-over, climbed twenty-two spots following the afternoon turn with an even par card before closing out the tournament with the under par round.
Staying in the 15th spot in all three rounds, Ethan Bonnett's 12-over 228 had a few twists and turns but the sophomore held steady through Monday's cards of 75 and 79 before posting his best round of the tournament with a closing 2-over 74.
Hovering around the middle of the 56-entrant field, Tom Lehmann finished tied for 26th at 18-over 234, following Monday's rounds of 77 and 81 with his best card of 4-over 76.
Tied for 15th after Monday's morning round with a 3-over 75, Tanapoom Kaewjoey moved the wrong way on the board with 83 and 84 cards to slide into 38th overall at 26-over 242.
Two strokes back after posting Barton's most consistent trio of rounds, Thantup Saengvut recorded twin 81 cards on Monday with a closing round of 82 finishing in a tie for 39th at 28-over 244.
Keegan O'Shea improved in each of his three rounds, bettering his opening 89 with a 82 on Monday before making the Cougars' largest final round climb of five spots in firing a 5-over 77 to finish at 32-over 248.
Rounding out the eight Barton entries, Anthony Arriola stayed steady in his three rounds with an 83, 87, and 86 to conclude the Championship in 50th place at 40-over 256.
Barton Results:
3rd Worathan Thammachokecharoen E, 216 (71-71-74)
T-12th Otto Heden +7, 223 (80-72-71)
T-15th Ethan Bonnett +12, 228 (75-79-74)
T-26th Tom Lehmann +18, 234 (77-81-76)
38th Tanapoom Kaewjoey +26, 242 (75-83-84)
T-39th Thantup Saengvut +28, 244 (81-81-82)
T-46th Keegan O'Shea +32, 248 (89-82-77)
T-50th Anthony Arriola +40, 256 (83-87-86)
KJCCC Championship results: Team Individuals