Griz break 300, Big Sky Championship up next

Monday, April 12

Golf Club of Estrella<br>Goodyear, Ariz.

Montana

Bobcat Spring Invitational

4/13/2021 6:58:00 PM | Golf

Results

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana women's golf team concluded the Bobcat Spring Invitational by shooting a 299 on Tuesday as the 36-hole tournament came to a close at the Golf Club of Estrella in Goodyear, Ariz.

Led by freshman Meredith Boos's 1-over 73, the Grizzlies broke 300 for the first time since the Red Rocks Invitational in March 2019.

The tournament came one week before the Big Sky Conference Championship, which will be held next Monday through Wednesday at the Arrowhead Golf Club in Molalla, Ore.

Montana went into the Bobcat Spring Invitational with a scoring average of more than 318. The Grizzlies shot a 303 on Monday and followed that up with a 299 on Tuesday to finish eighth out of 11 teams.

"It was nice to see back-to-back good days," said coach Kris Nord. "We had to get going in that direction and now we have to keep it going and hopefully keep it rolling next Monday.

"I didn't feel like we played our best golf today but it's nice to play above average and score below 300. I was really happy with the team."

Kylie Esh followed her even-par 72 on Monday with a 74 on Tuesday to finish in a tie for 12th.

Jessica Ponce (77-74) tied for 34th, Teigan Avery (76-78) and Boos (81-73) tied for 45th, Faith D'Ortenzio (78-83) finished 63rd.

Boos, whose previous best round this spring was the 78 she shot at the Lady Thunderbird Invitational, closed Monday's opening round by playing the final six holes at 6-over, which ballooned her score.

"Yesterday's round really fired me up. I used it as a motivator today to stay super focused and keep grinding to a good score," she said. "I was able to play well without my A game."

An observer may have wondered what Boos was even doing on the course. She had to get her back taped up before Tuesday's round, and she played with a heating pad on it throughout the round.

She even carried a ball with her so she could rub out and stretch her back before each shot.

"Golf is the ultimate mental test," she said. "I took the right steps to deal with the back issues I've been having. I just tried to make each shot count and really, really focus in."

Boos bogeyed her first hole on Tuesday but got it right back with a birdie 3 on No. 12. Another birdie at 15 got her to 1-under.

She parred the next seven holes, bogeyed No. 5, then closed with another bogey on her final hole, No. 10.

"I used that (opening) bogey to fire me up and start from kind of an underdog position and get back to it," she said. "I hope in the future it won't take a bogey to get things started."

Gonzaga (287-285) won the team title by 11 strokes over Seattle (290-293), a dozen over Cal Baptist (287-297).

Seattle's Samantha Bruce shot back-to-back scores of 69 to finish 6-under. She was one of five players to break par.

The Big Sky Conference Championship will be 18 holes each day, next Monday through Wednesday.

"This was very important for us," said Boos. "I think we took this as a personal win today because we broke 300. This gives us a confidence boost, definitely."