Golf team back on the road

The Montana women's golf team, which opened its fall season last Monday and Tuesday at the Cougar Cup in Pullman, Wash., will return to competition this week when the Grizzlies play in a pair of two-day tournaments over a seven-day span.

Montana will compete in the Rose City Collegiate at Aurora, Ore., on Monday and Tuesday, then head southwest for the Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate Saturday and Sunday at Palm Desert, Calif.

The 15-team Rose City Collegiate will be played at the Langdon Farms Golf Club, the 11-team Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate at the Classic Club.

"The majority of our fall season is in these first few weeks," said second-year coach Matt Higgins. "When I scheduled it, I knew it would be a grind. We get back from one tournament late Tuesday, then leave early Thursday for the next one.

"But I think it will be a positive. I want to get these girls playing tournament golf. They've had enough practice and preparation. It's time for them to see what they can do in tournament situations."

Montana will use a lineup at the Rose City Collegiate of junior Hailey Hoagland at No. 1, junior Kari Opatz at No. 2, freshman Caitlyn Villatora at No. 3, sophomore Baylee Barckley at No. 4 and freshman Teigan Avery at No. 5.

That fivesome, with Hoagland tying for 21st and Villatora one stroke back in 25th, finished seventh at the Cougar Cup, carding rounds of 307, 302 and 307. The Grizzlies had a 21-stroke improvement on their score from the Cougar Cup the year before, when Higgins was in his first year and the team was smaller.

"It just shows how much the team has improved in the last year," said Higgins. "And it shows the depth we have.

"This group has a little more confidence on the course. The attitude has started to change where I think they believe they can play well and compete against most of the teams we're going up against."

Hoagland had rounds of 74, 76 and 75 at the Cougar Cup. After opening with a 78 at Pullman, Villatora had Montana's low score in rounds two and three, both times coming in at 2-over 74.

"It wasn't a surprise. Since day one Caitlyn came in and proved she wanted this and was good enough to break into our top five," said Higgins. "Her scores showed it in qualifying.

"She has the talent. What impressed me at our first tournament was how well she kept it together mentally out there. It was some tough conditions with the wind, and she didn't let it affect her."

Opatz and Barckley both had rounds in the low 80s at the Cougar Cup to go with two rounds in the mid-70s. Avery carded scores of 81, 76 and 83.

Montana's five-player travel roster will likely remain the same for the Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate, but it could change depending on the results of the Rose City Collegiate.

Sitting just outside Montana's top five are the team's two seniors, Alexa Schendelman and Amanda Kahn, both of whom played as individuals at the Cougar Cup. Schendelman, who closed with rounds of 78 and 77, came in two strokes better than Avery. Kahn matched Avery at 24-over.

This will be the seventh year of the Rose City Collegiate and the fourth straight autumn Montana has competed in the tournament. The Grizzlies shot rounds of 324, 309 and 323 last September to finish 13th out of 15 teams.

Big Sky Conference squads will make up eight of the 15 teams competing Monday and Tuesday. Four league teams will be playing at the Classic Club. Montana last played the course in 2013.

"I love the course down there," said Higgins. "The Classic Club is a great venue for a tournament, and I think it sets up well for us."

Montana will play at the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational in Tacoma, Wash., Oct. 10-11 and the Little Rock Golf Classic in Hot Springs Village, Ark., Oct. 30 through Nov. 1 to close out its fall season.

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Players Mentioned

Teigan Avery

Baylee Barckley

Hailey Hoagland

Amanda Kahn

Kari Opatz

Alexa Schendelman

Caitlyn Villatora

University of Montana Athletics