Golfers finish day one in California
2/13/2017 7:58:00 PM | Golf
After wreaking havoc on scores on Monday morning in the opening round of the Battle at the Rock in Riverside, Calif., Mother Nature gave everyone a mulligan in the afternoon.
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Fourteen of the tournament's 15 teams played a better second round at the Oak Quarry Golf Club -- one by as many as 37 strokes, three by more than 20 -- and Montana was no different.
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After opening with a 334 in windy morning conditions, the Grizzlies shot a 312 in the afternoon, matching their fall average, and are sitting 14th out of 15 teams, three shots ahead of Cal State Bakersfield.
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"It was 25- to 30-mile-an-hour sustained winds, so it was really, really tough, but that's no excuse for what we shot," said coach Matt Higgins. "I was really proud of the way we came back and responded."
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Hawaii leads the tournament by five strokes over Cal Poly and 13 over Northern Arizona. Six teams are within five strokes of the Lumberjacks, with a final round remaining to be played on Tuesday morning.
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Nobody broke 80 for Montana in the opening round. Baylee Barckley shot an 8-over 80, while Kari Opatz came in at 83, Teigan Avery at 84, Caitlyn Villatora at 87 and Hailey Hoagland, who played her first five holes at 10-over, at 91.
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"It was more than just the conditions. It was also our first round of the year, so there were some course management things we did not do well," said Higgins.
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"It was good to put that first round behind us and come back with the second round we had."
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Barckley led the Grizzlies in round two with a 74, which included four birdies. She was even par through her first 16 holes but bogeyed No. 9 and 10 to finish 2-over.
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Hoagland didn't have anything worse than a bogey in the afternoon and improved by 13 strokes to a 78. Opatz shot a 79, Avery and Villatora carded 81s.
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Northern Arizona's Sofia Anokhina shot rounds of 71 and 73 and leads the field by two strokes.
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"It was the first tournament of the year and first day of the year, so it was good to get the rust off and play," said Higgins. "You can practice all you want, but actually playing tournament golf is a huge difference."
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Fourteen of the tournament's 15 teams played a better second round at the Oak Quarry Golf Club -- one by as many as 37 strokes, three by more than 20 -- and Montana was no different.
Â
After opening with a 334 in windy morning conditions, the Grizzlies shot a 312 in the afternoon, matching their fall average, and are sitting 14th out of 15 teams, three shots ahead of Cal State Bakersfield.
Â
"It was 25- to 30-mile-an-hour sustained winds, so it was really, really tough, but that's no excuse for what we shot," said coach Matt Higgins. "I was really proud of the way we came back and responded."
Â
Hawaii leads the tournament by five strokes over Cal Poly and 13 over Northern Arizona. Six teams are within five strokes of the Lumberjacks, with a final round remaining to be played on Tuesday morning.
Â
Nobody broke 80 for Montana in the opening round. Baylee Barckley shot an 8-over 80, while Kari Opatz came in at 83, Teigan Avery at 84, Caitlyn Villatora at 87 and Hailey Hoagland, who played her first five holes at 10-over, at 91.
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"It was more than just the conditions. It was also our first round of the year, so there were some course management things we did not do well," said Higgins.
Â
"It was good to put that first round behind us and come back with the second round we had."
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Barckley led the Grizzlies in round two with a 74, which included four birdies. She was even par through her first 16 holes but bogeyed No. 9 and 10 to finish 2-over.
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Hoagland didn't have anything worse than a bogey in the afternoon and improved by 13 strokes to a 78. Opatz shot a 79, Avery and Villatora carded 81s.
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Northern Arizona's Sofia Anokhina shot rounds of 71 and 73 and leads the field by two strokes.
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"It was the first tournament of the year and first day of the year, so it was good to get the rust off and play," said Higgins. "You can practice all you want, but actually playing tournament golf is a huge difference."
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