Most college students use the extended break between the conclusion of fall semester exams and the start of spring semester classes to relax and enjoy some holiday fun. While JF Aber ’24, captain of Wittenberg’s nationally ranked men’s golf team, did both of those things, he also spent some of that downtime participating in an extraordinary competition.
After a stellar junior season that included NCAC Player of the Year honors, first-team All-Great Lakes Region honors, and a 51st-place finish in the 2023 NCAA Division III Tournament, Aber earned All-America honors from the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). As a result, Aber earned an invitation to compete for a second straight year in the Thunderbolt Invitational December 29-31 at Sterling Grove Golf & Country Club in Surprise, Arizona.
Aber finished in a three-way tie for 51st place in the 2023 Thunderbolt Invitational after posting scores of 73, 72, and 74 for a total of three-over-par 219. He finished 19 strokes off the winning score of 200 posted by Cooper Jones of Brigham Young University. A year ago, competing in the inaugural Thunderbolt Invitational, Aber placed 15th with a three-round total of two-under-par 214.
The field for the Thunderbolt Invitational consists of college players ranked between 200 and 400 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and players in NCAA Division II or III, NAIA, and NJCAA who previously earned All-America honors. The Thunderbolt, first played in 2022, is a 54-hole stroke play competition, with the top three finishers receiving invitations to compete in the Patriot All-America Invitational, which was first played in 2011.
While both the Patriot and Thunderbolt events feature high-quality competitive opportunities for top collegiate golfers, the tournaments are also connected to a foundation called Folds of Honor, which provides scholarships and other assistance to families of fallen or disabled soldiers. Folds of Honor identifies a fallen soldier to be honored during the event, and each player carries a golf bag embroidered with the soldier’s name.
In 2023, Aber played in honor of Sergeant Peter Woodall, who completed multiple tours of duty in Iraq before he was killed on April 27, 2007, as he attempted to defuse a roadside bomb in the Anbar province.
“The tournament was great. It means a lot playing for something bigger than yourself.” Aber said. “I hit the ball great, but I would’ve loved to make some more putts.”
Aber was joined in the Thunderbolt Invitational field by two former teammates, both of whom are now competing for the NCAA Division I program sponsored by Miami University. Evan DiSanto, who earned his Wittenberg degree in 2023, finished 57th with a three-round total of 222, and Matthew Mattioli, who played two seasons for Wittenberg, finished 37th with a total of 216. Mattioli also competed in the Thunderbolt Invitational in 2022, finishing 39th with a score of 219.