Griz in Utah for next spring tournament

The Montana women's golf team, which hasn't been in action in more than a month, will continue its spring season this week at the Lady Thunderbird Invitational.

The tournament, which is being hosted by Southern Utah, will take place Thursday and Friday at the Sunbrook Golf Club in St. George, Utah.

The 14-team field includes five from the Big Sky Conference: Montana and Southern Utah, plus Eastern Washington, Idaho State and Weber State.

The Grizzlies enter the tournament with a national ranking by Golf Stat of 198. Southern Utah is 125, Eastern Washington 156, Weber State 229 and Idaho State 251.

Xavier has the field's top ranking of 107.

Wyoming won the first edition of the tournament, held last spring, with rounds of 306 and 292. The 2019 edition will follow the same format, with one round on Thursday, one on Friday.

South Dakota State's Sydney Bormann, who is back to defend her title, won last year's tournament with scores of 71 and 73.

Montana will compete with senior Baylee Barckley, junior Teigan Avery and three freshmen, Kylie Esh, Allison Sobol and Brooklyn Van Bebber.

In the team's first tournament of the spring season, the Battle at the Rock in Riverside, Calif., Montana finished 14th out of 15 teams, with scores of 322, 316 and 312.

All five Grizzlies who competed at the Oak Quarry Golf Club had at least one round in the 80s, as Montana tried to become familiar with playing on grass and with bunkers again.

Esh tied for 57th, shooting rounds of 77, 80 and 76. Barckley (81-76-78) tied for 61st, Van Bebber (82-78-80) tied for 74th, Sobol (82-84-78) tied for 78th.

Avery, who had a fall average of 80.8, will be making her spring debut. She replaces Faith D'Ortenzio in the lineup for this tournament. D'Ortenzio shot rounds of 84, 82 and 81 at Riverside to tie for 82nd.

This week's tournament is No. 2 of 5 this spring for Montana. The Grizzlies will compete at the Red Rocks Invitational in Sedona, Ariz., later this month, then the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic in Maricopa, Ariz., in early April.

The Big Sky Conference Championship will be contested at the Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nev., April 19-21.

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Players Mentioned

Teigan Avery

Baylee Barckley

Faith D'Ortenzio

Kylie Esh

Allison Sobol

Brooklyn Van Bebber

University of Montana Athletics