LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. –
Zander Grant of the University of Denver turned a 36-hole tie for the lead into the 2024 Thunderbolt championship, shooting a -2 (70) in Tuesday’s final round at Sterling Grove Golf + Country Club in Surprise, to finish at -10 overall (206). View the final 2024 Patriot All-America leaderboard here, and check out the final 2024 Thunderbolt leaderboard here.
“I had a plan in mind and stuck to it,” said Grant, a sophomore from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. “I had a lot of ups and downs today and it really could have gotten out of hand for me but I just kept my mind in it and stuck to my plan, and it all just worked out in the end.”
An up and down round from Grant saw four birdies, four bogeys and an eagle. His last birdie on the Par-4 16th hole would prove to be crucial, holding off Midwestern State junior Seth Bearden for a one-shot win at The Thunderbolt. Bearden finished alone in second at -9 overall, one shot better than Aidan Thomas of New Mexico State University and the University of San Diego’s Ryan Abuan, who finished tied for third at -8 overall, respectively.
“It feels good – I finally get a little monkey off my back,” said Grant, who recorded a 74.6 scoring average and two top-20 finishes for the Pioneers as a freshman. “This is a boost of confidence – I know I put in the work and I can compete with anybody, but now seeing that I actually do it, it gives me another level of confidence that will help me do what I want to do in 2025.
At the Patriot played at the Wigwam, University of Texas at Austin senior Bohyun Park and Ole Miss junior Cameron Tankersley are going home with prestigious Folded Flag trophies and Bomber Jackets after winning their respective divisions at the 14th Annual Patriot All-America Invitational. Park dominated during the entire final round on the Blue Course, posting a -7 (63) to set a Patriot Women’s Division scoring record at -15 overall (195). Tankersley shot a smooth -1 (69) on the Wigwam Golf Club Gold Course Tuesday to finish at -10 overall (200) and win by three shots over five different players.
“It feels great to be in the circle again – it has taken be quite a bit of time to get here,” said Park, a Journalism major from Farmers Branch, Tex. “It’s nice to see all the hard work paying off and just trusting the process.”
“I’ve been working hard for the past year and I’ve been coming close a lot of times – I just haven’t finished it,” said Tankersley, a Multi-Disciplinary Studies major from Dickson, Tenn. “Today I was struggling a little bit towards the middle of the round and I just knew if I kept on being confident and staying positive, I could get it back. And it worked out.”
For Park, a share of the 36-hole lead with University of Oregon sophomore Kiara Romero did not translate to playing a “safe” final round. Park dominated the Blue Course for a third straight day, the last seeing eight birdies with only one bogey. Romero’s six birdies kept her in contention for much of the round, but three bogeys meant Park could coast to the Women’s Division championship. Romero finished alone in second at -11 overall, with Kary Hollenbaugh of Ohio State University taking solo third place at -9 overall.
“I was just trying to be present in the moment, having no expectations going in and just sticking to my routine and being the best version of myself,” said Park, who carries a 72.75 career scoring average in 25 events at Texas. “I wasn’t aware of any scores during those moments so I think I was able to continue my hot stretch.”
On the Gold Course, Tankersley came into Tuesday’s final round with a two-shot lead over a trio of players. But Tankersley’s challengers at the top of the Men’s Division leaderboard couldn’t muster enough of a run to threaten the Ole Miss junior. Tankersley carded five birdies and four bogeys to finish with a three-shot win over Zach Pollo and Tianyi Xiong of University of Arizona, Ryan Voois of the University of Illinois, Mesa Falleur of the University of New Mexico and the University of North Carolina’s Keaton Vo, who finished at -7 overall, respectively. Another five players finished tied for seventh at -6 overall.
“Knowing that I put in the work every day, and knowing this is what I practice for, it’s pretty sweet,” said Tankersley, who has already posted a second-place finish for the University of Mississippi this past fall at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate. “My game is in a good spot right now, so hopefully keep practicing every day, keep grinding and I’ll keep getting better.”
The Patriot All-America Invitational features PING All-Americans from the previous season in NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and NJCAA; as well as 2022 First Team All-America Seniors from the AJGA and other special invitees. The 54-hole amateur event is known as the first of its kind to combine the talents of 156 nationally recognized men and women golfers simultaneously at one tournament.
Conducted in a partnership with the GCAA, WGCA, the West Valley Mavericks, The Patriot All-America LLC and the Arizona Golf Association, The Patriot All-America honors fallen or severely wounded soldiers and first responders in collaboration with the Folds of Honor Foundation. The golfers receive a golf bag provided by PING Corporation at the event’s opening ceremony emblazoned with the name and branch of service of a fallen or injured military member whom they shall represent. Participants also receive a card with the soldier’s story so they can become familiar with that soldier. The golf bags are then sold by the players’ college or university with proceeds donated to Folds of Honor to support the families affected. Thunderbolt players will also represent Folds of Honor soldiers and First Responders with biographies on cards attached to their bags.
Named after the Air Force P-47 Thunderbolt, The Thunderbolt has been added to accommodate those players that met the initial eligibility but did not make it into The Patriot. The Thunderbolt consists of players who are ranked in the top 1000 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), are PING Second, Third and Honorable Mention All-Americans from Divisions II, III, NAIA, and NJCAA, or are AJGA Second Team and Honorable Mention All-Americans. An invitation to The Thunderbolt does not preclude a player from later receiving an invitation to The Patriot, and all golfers in the Thunderbolt field will be added to the alternate list for The Patriot.
For all information on The Patriot All-America and The Thunderbolt, including history and future sponsorship opportunities, visit patriotallamerica.com.
About The Patriot All-America Invitational
Featuring golf’s stars of tomorrow, The Patriot All-America is regarded as a top amateur event nationally, attracting PING All-America golfers from all three NCAA Divisions, NAIA and NJCAA rankings as well as from universities outside the United States. The West Valley Mavericks (Mavericks), The Patriot All-America LLC, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), JDM Partners, and AZ GOLF (also known as the Arizona Golf Association) partner with the Folds of Honor Foundation to host the tournament, played December 29-31 annually at The Wigwam Golf Resort in Litchfield Park, Ariz. For more information visit www.patriotallamerica.com.
About The Thunderbolt
Following the overwhelming success of The Patriot All-America Invitational, organizers implemented a second tournament to the Patriot lineup named The Thunderbolt in 2022. Played at Sterling Grove Golf + Country Club in Surprise, Ariz., it features 72 more of the nation’s top male collegiate players competing in a three-round event on the same dates as The Patriot: December 29-31. Named after the Air Force P-47 Thunderbolt, The Thunderbolt has been added to accommodate those players that met the initial eligibility but did not make it into The Patriot. For more information visit www.patriotallamerica.com.
About Wigwam Golf Club
The Wigwam’s three 18-hole championship golf courses offer a diversity that cannot be matched by any other Arizona resort, with 54 holes of championship golf including two courses designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The Gold Course has hosted many signature tournaments over the years, including numerous U.S. Open Qualifiers, U.S. Amateur Qualifiers, several NCAA Regional Championships and the annual Patriot All-America Invitational, one of the top amateur competitions in the world. The 7,430 yard, par 72 track has also received various industry awards and accolades since opening in 1965, including being named one of the “Top 100 Golf Courses in America.” In December 2009, The Wigwam (including the golf courses and resort property) was purchased by JDM Partners, led by sports icon Jerry Colangelo. For more information, please visit www.wigwamgolf.com.
About Golf Coaches Association of America
Established in 1958, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional organization of men’s collegiate golf coaches. The GCAA’s mission is to support its member coaches from six divisions, including the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA, by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic and civic endeavors.
About Women’s Golf Coaches Association
Founded in 1983, the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), formerly known as the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA), began as an organization to promote participation in women’s collegiate golf. The vision of the WGCA since its inception has been to encourage the playing of intercollegiate golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition. Today, the WGCA represents the finest coaches in women’s golf with a membership of over 650 coaches of Division I, II & III, NAIA and NJCAA collegiate programs.
About The West Valley Mavericks
The West Valley Mavericks Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit) was born of the imagination and vision of a group of community leaders late in 2012. The West Valley Mavericks (or just ‘Mavericks’) is a group led by gentlemen who believe the West Valley is an incredible place to live, work and play. The Mavericks’ charter is to advance charity, culture, community and commerce in the West Valley of Phoenix. As an organization they use individual contributions, fundraising events, business sponsorships, ticket sales donations and hands-on community service to raise money to assist children and families, help people in need and improve the quality of life in West Valley communities. For more information please visit www.westvalleymavericksfoundation.org.
About AZ GOLF
AZ GOLF, also known as the Arizona Golf Association, has been serving amateur golfers in Arizona since 1923 when it held the first State Amateur Championship. Today, it is licensed by the United States Golf Association to provide handicapping and course rating services to member clubs, to provide tournament and rules expertise and to oversee the application of amateur status.
About Folds of Honor
Folds of Honor is a nonprofit organization that provides academic scholarships to the spouses and children of military members and first responders who have fallen or been disabled while serving. Educational scholarships support private school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12, as well as post-secondary tuition (two- or four-year college/university, technical or trade school). Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded over 29,000 scholarships totaling over $145 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 41 percent are minorities.