Dyer tied atop the leaderboard after round one of the NJCAA National Championships
By GARDEN CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Hobbs, NM-Fairways and greens, that’s all Jack Dyer could think about on Tuesday.
And for the most part, the freshman didn’t miss either.
Dyer put together his best 18 holes of golf this season, carding a 4-under, 67, putting him in a four-way tie for first place after round one of the 2024 NJCAA Men’s Golf National Championships at Rockwind Community Links.
“There was a lot of practice that went into this,” Dyer explained. “There was a lot of practice on the green this morning. I stayed with the process and trusted what the book said.”
The freshman, who really struggled during the National Preview back in the fall, was locked in from the start. He birdied No. 2; then shook off a one-putt on three with a tap in for birdie on five that brought him back to 1-under. After another bogey on six, Dyer was nearly flawless the rest of the way.
“I think I started pretty bumpy; the nerves kind of kicked in,” he said. “But I managed to stay levelheaded and make the birdies where I needed to.”
After finishing the front-nine level, Dyer was magnificent down the stretch. He birdied the 165-yard par 3 on No. 10 before draining a beautiful 10-foot putt on 11 to drop him to 2-under. But his best shot of the day came on the par five 14th where the freshman got on the green in three. After a deep breath, Dyer drilled a 20-foot putt for birdie, which was followed by a not-so-subtle fist pump that got him to 3-under and sole possession of first place.
“I was just trying to keep my ball in play off the tee,” Dyer said. “All those par fives are reachable; you just have to get up and down and make those putts.”
Dyer nearly one-upped his highlight shot on 15 two holes later when his 25-foot birdie putt rimmed out. He arched his back in frustration before tapping in to save par.
“My iron play today was really solid from the fairways into the greens,” Dyer said. “It gave me a lot of opportunities to make those birdies.”
After shanking his approach shot on 18, the freshman rebounded nicely, tapping in a five-foot putt to bring him to 4-under for the day.
Dyer is tied with New Mexico’s Matt Walters, Jose Carletta from Indian Hills, and Eastern Arizona’s Kendall McCain.
