Griz open spring season in St. George

The Montana women's golf team will open its spring season this week when the Grizzlies travel to St. George, Utah, to compete in the two-day Lady Thunderbird Invitational.

The 36-hole tournament will take place on Thursday and Friday at the Sunbrook Golf Club, with one round being played each day.

The tournament will be the first for Montana in nearly five months, since the Grizzlies competed at the Pat Lesser-Harbottle Invitational in Lakewood, Wash., in mid-October.

Montana has traditionally had a February open to its spring season, but that tournament would typically come while the Grizzlies were still making good use of their indoor facility.

Montana got outside for its first round on Friday in Missoula and will have at least some feel for hitting off grass when the Grizzlies play their practice round in St. George on Wednesday.

"We're pumped that we were able to get outdoors before we compete," said coach Kris Nord.

"It's a transition to go from hitting off mats to turf. The fact we're hitting off grass and have gotten a couple rounds in, it just breaks the ice."

Montana played a February tournament last year, before getting outside at home, and shot rounds of 322, 316 and 312 at the Battle at the Rock in Riverside, Calif.

"The practice round in St. George won't be our first time out, so hopefully we'll score better than last year," said Nord.

Montana will have a lineup in St. George of sophomores Kylie Esh and Allison Sobol, junior Faith D'Ortenzio, senior Teigan Avery and freshman Tricia Joyce.

Sophomore Brooklyn Van Bebber and freshman Jessica Ponce will compete as individuals.

The tournament will feature a dozen teams, with Montana being joined by Eastern Washington, Idaho State, host Southern Utah and Weber State of the Big Sky Conference.

Cal Baptist won last year's tournament with rounds of 292 and 297. North Dakota State's Taylor McCorkle, with rounds of 76 and 65, was medalist.

Because of the later start, Montana will play four tournaments in a month's time, with the next three in Arizona.

Arizona also will be the site of the Big Sky Conference Championship, which will be held Monday, April 20, through Wednesday, April 22, at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale.

"I feel good about the schedule. I just don't think it would have been real productive to spend a fifth of our travel budget for a February tournament when we're not outside yet," said Nord.

"I'm hopeful it's going to work out better. Time will tell."

Montana competed in three tournaments in the fall in addition to hosting the Griz Match Play Challenge at the Missoula Country Club.

The Grizzlies, who were picked 10th in the preseason coaches' poll in January, had a fall scoring average of 311.

"We always have one day when we play as well as anybody, and then we have one middle-of-the-pack day," said Nord. "We want to get rid of that one explosion day, when we shoot ourselves out of the tournament.

"If we play well, I think we can be in the top third of the conference. We have a lot of talent. We just have to keep things together for two or three days."

Montana will compete next at the Red Rocks Invitational at the Oakcreek Country Club in Sedona, Ariz., on Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22.

University of Montana Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Teigan Avery

Faith D'Ortenzio

Kylie Esh

Tricia Joyce

Jessica Ponce

Allison Sobol

Brooklyn Van Bebber

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