Late birdie propels Zander Grant to the Thunderbolt Invitational victory
12/31/2024 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com
see also: View results for The Thunderbolt, Sterling Grove Golf & Country Club
Grant recorded a clutch birdie on No. 16 to earn a one-shot win over Seth Bearden
Zander Grant, a University of Denver sophomore, carded rounds of 69-67-70 to finish 10-under and win the 2024 Thunderbolt Invitational at Sterling Grove Golf & Country Club in Surprise, Ariz.
Grant was three shots back after the first round, but his second round 5-under 67 saw him propel him to the top of the leaderboard. He recorded five birdies and no bogeys in his second round, and he recorded 14 birdies, an eagle, and six bogeys in the championship.
In the final round, Grant bogeyed holes No. 13 and 15 to fall back to 9-under, but a birdie on No. 16 got him back to 10-under to hold off Seth Bearden of Midwestern State University.
Bearden finished in solo second place at 9-under after birdies on holes No. 15 and 18 to put pressure on Grant but couldn't get to 10-under and force a playoff.
Aidan Thomas of New Mexico State and Ryan Abuan of San Diego finished T3 at 8-under. Cole Rueck of Boise State finished in solo fifth place at 7-under.
As a freshman at Denver, Grant appeared in six events and 17 total rounds. He posted a 74.6 scoring average and recorded two top-20 finishes.
Because of the huge success of the Patriot All-America Invitational, which was started in 2011, the organizers decided to implement a second tournament to the Patriot lineup named The Thunderbolt.
The Thunderbolt has been added to accommodate those players who met the initial eligibility but did not make it into the Patriot.
Results: The Thunderbolt
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | 400 | 69-67-70=206 | |
| 2 | Crowell, TX | 300 | 72-67-68=207 | |
| T3 | Albuquerque, NM | 200 | 67-70-71=208 | |
| T3 | Temecula, CA | 200 | 71-67-70=208 | |
| 5 | Corvallis, OR | 200 | 70-66-73=209 |
About the The Thunderbolt
Because of the huge success of the Patriot All- America Invitational, which was started in 2011, the organizers decided to implement a second tournament to the Patriot lineup named The Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt has been added to accommodate those ...
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Final Stage: Ewart Leads Five New TOUR Card Winners
Dec 14, 2025A.J. Ewart topped Final Stage at TPC Sawgrass, leading five players who secured PGA TOUR membership for 2026.
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s
Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s original