Griz fall to Bison at Dual in the Desert

Sunday, February 20

Rancho La Quinta Golf Club (Jones Course)<br>Palm Springs, Calif.

Montana

Dual in the Desert

2/20/2022 9:26:00 PM | Golf

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana women's golf team opened its spring schedule on Sunday with the Dual in the Desert match-play event against North Dakota State at the Rancho La Quinta Golf Club in Palm Springs, Calif.

Playing a modified match-play competition, with secondary points available after the initial matches had been decided, the Bison came out on top 7.5 to 1.5.

Brooklyn Van Bebber, competing for the first time this year after playing in just one event in 2020-21, won her match 6 & 5. Kylie Franklin played hers to all square.

"We shot some really good scores and competed real well," said coach Kris Nord. "North Dakota State is a solid team. We've seen them in a lot of tournaments and never finished close to them.

"I feel like we've closed that gap a little bit, even though we lost the match play. We were in it to the end in a number of matches. I'm real pleased with how the kids played. It was fun."

Montana traveled to Southern California on Thursday and played practice rounds on Friday and Saturday at area courses while attending fundraising events.

"We had a full couple of days, so it's been long days, but the golf was good. It served our purpose. It's been a good three days of golf and activities," said Nord.

Even though Montana competed in match-play scoring on Sunday against the Bison, the Grizzlies also did their own stroke play, finishing each hole when normally it might be conceded.

The head-to-head competition was vital. So was posting another 18-hole score as Nord begins looking ahead to his team's upcoming tournaments.

Montana will be in St. George, Utah, for the Lady Thunderbird Invitational and Sedona, Ariz., for the Red Rocks Invitational in March.

"If North Dakota State gave us putts, we still putted them because we're trying to figure out our ladder for St. George and Sedona down the road," Nord said.

The three days this weekend on grass followed months of work at the team's indoor facility. Montana hadn't golfed outside since last fall.

"This was huge. We needed to get an idea of where we are. The simulators only give you so much information," said Nord.

"We're further ahead than I thought we'd be. We had a couple of kids not play well but overall the grade would be B+ for not having been on grass for a few months."

Dual in the Desert -- Rancho La Quinta Golf Club (Jones Course)

North Dakota State 7.5, Montana 1.5

Brooklyn Van Bebber (UM) over Holly Murphy (NDSU), 6 & 5
Kylie Franklin (UM) vs. Maddie Herzog (NDSU), AS
Ava Wallerich (NDSU) over Meredith Boos (UM), 1 up
Lexi Geolat (NDSU) over Madison Cecil (UM), 3 & 2
Catherine Monty (NDSU) over Tricia Joyce (UM), 2 & 1
Leah Skaar (NDSU) over Jessica Ponce (UM), 2 & 1
Jo Baranczyk (NDSU) over Allison Sobol (UM), 1 up Elise Hoven (NDSU) over Emmy Sundby (UM), 1 up