Joyce shoots 72, leads Griz on Day 2
3/10/2023 5:01:00 PM | Golf
Senior Tricia Joyce shot an even-par 72 on Friday and Montana carded a team score of 310 as the Lady Thunderbird Invitational continued at the Sunbrook Golf Course in St. George, Utah.
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Starting her day at No. 8, Joyce was 4-over through eight holes but birdied four straight on the front nine to get back to even par.
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She moved 24 spots up the leaderboard and will be tied for 15th going into Saturday's final round. She opened the spring season with a 77 on Thursday.
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Her 72 on Friday was the third-lowest score of her collegiate career, the lowest not posted at the familiar Old Works Golf Course in Anaconda.
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"The biggest difference is her wedge play," said coach Kris Nord. "She really needed to get new wedges so she could spin the ball, and she finally got new wedges.
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"This is her first tournament with the new wedges, and she's been spot on with them. She putting the ball close to the hole and capitalizing."
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Madison Cecil shot a 78 on Friday, Kylie Franklin a 79. Jessica Ponce and Raina Ports both shot 81. Everyone but Joyce had multiple holes played at double bogey or worse.
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"This felt like the day I thought we might have first day out," said Nord, whose team still improved by one from Thursday's 311.
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"They hung on and that's encouraging. We didn't let it go way south. We have to get rid of triples. There are a couple holes you have to play smart and make swings, and we didn't."
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Friday's round started in light rain, then had three systems roll through that kept the course wet. Six of the top seven teams in the standings had higher scores on Friday than they posted on Thursday.
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"The greens were a little tougher to putt," said Nord. "We could easily be at 300 or below tomorrow if we just play a little smarter on the tough holes."
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Wyoming (290-302) continues to hold the lead through 36 holes, but it's a tight leaderboard, with six teams within 10 shots of the Cowgirls.
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California Baptist (296-297) is one shot back, Boise State (293-303) and CSU Bakersfield (302-294) are four shots off the lead.
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Cal Baptist's Samantha Dizon (74-67), at 3-under, is the 36-hole leader. She carded seven birdies on Friday.
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Starting her day at No. 8, Joyce was 4-over through eight holes but birdied four straight on the front nine to get back to even par.
Â
She moved 24 spots up the leaderboard and will be tied for 15th going into Saturday's final round. She opened the spring season with a 77 on Thursday.
Â
Her 72 on Friday was the third-lowest score of her collegiate career, the lowest not posted at the familiar Old Works Golf Course in Anaconda.
Â
"The biggest difference is her wedge play," said coach Kris Nord. "She really needed to get new wedges so she could spin the ball, and she finally got new wedges.
Â
"This is her first tournament with the new wedges, and she's been spot on with them. She putting the ball close to the hole and capitalizing."
Â
Madison Cecil shot a 78 on Friday, Kylie Franklin a 79. Jessica Ponce and Raina Ports both shot 81. Everyone but Joyce had multiple holes played at double bogey or worse.
Â
"This felt like the day I thought we might have first day out," said Nord, whose team still improved by one from Thursday's 311.
Â
"They hung on and that's encouraging. We didn't let it go way south. We have to get rid of triples. There are a couple holes you have to play smart and make swings, and we didn't."
Â
Friday's round started in light rain, then had three systems roll through that kept the course wet. Six of the top seven teams in the standings had higher scores on Friday than they posted on Thursday.
Â
"The greens were a little tougher to putt," said Nord. "We could easily be at 300 or below tomorrow if we just play a little smarter on the tough holes."
Â
Wyoming (290-302) continues to hold the lead through 36 holes, but it's a tight leaderboard, with six teams within 10 shots of the Cowgirls.
Â
California Baptist (296-297) is one shot back, Boise State (293-303) and CSU Bakersfield (302-294) are four shots off the lead.
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Cal Baptist's Samantha Dizon (74-67), at 3-under, is the 36-hole leader. She carded seven birdies on Friday.
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