Griz golfers ready to tee up spring season

The Montana women's golf team, which hasn't competed since the first week of October, will open its spring season next week at the Lady Thunderbird Invitational in St. George, Utah.

The tournament will be played Thursday through Saturday at the Sunbrook Golf Club.

"We're ready for spring to hit and get out of hitting off mats, but we're surviving it," said coach Kris Nord. "Hopefully we'll get some decent weather and see what our status is."

The tournament format will give Montana four days on the course, with a practice round on Wednesday followed by 18 holes of tournament play on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

"Then we'll go back and practice later (Saturday) night and get some reps in on what we have to work on after playing 54 holes," said Nord. "It will be good from that aspect."

This will be fourth consecutive year Montana has opened its spring tournament schedule at the Lady Thunderbird Invitational in March. Prior to that, February starts were the norm.

"I would prefer having something in February," said Nord. "It breaks up four and a half weeks of practice and it gets you on turf to kind of see where you're at.

"It's a barometer on your swing and how you're playing to have something in February."

The Grizzlies will open with a lineup of freshman Raina Ports, junior Madison Cecil, sophomore Kylie Franklin and seniors Jessica Ponce and Tricia Joyce.

Those five golfers played in all four of Montana's fall tournaments. All had 12-round fall averages in the 70s, with Ports leading the way at 76.75. "Raina had a great start on the golf course," Nord said.

Cecil had a fall average of 77.92, Franklin of 78.83, Joyce and Ponce of 79.83.

Cecil led Montana at two of its fall tournaments. Ports, who was top three on the team at all four fall events, led the Grizzlies one time, as did Franklin.

Montana had a team average of 310.42 in the fall. The Grizzlies placed in the bottom half of the team standings at all four events in September and October.

"It's minimizing big holes more than anything," Nord said. "We're not making bad decisions but we're getting flustered when we have a bad turn of events.

"We have to learn how to turn a seven into a five, a six into a four. We have 15 or 16 holes of good golf, then two or three where it's just out in left field."

Montana broke 300 two times, the final two rounds of the Eagle Invitational at Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane. The Grizzlies also had a pair of rounds in the fall in the 320s.

"You're going to have some hiccups. We have to make them not as large as they've been. We have to learn what a good bogey is and not try to make a miraculous par and walk off with a double.

"That's where we are right now, trying to do the low-percentage hero shot," said Nord. "We have to get a little smarter and execute a little better because we have the talent."

Montana will play four spring tournaments leading up to the Big Sky Conference Championship, which will be held April 17-19 at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Grizzlies will play at the Red Rocks Invitational (March 18-19), the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic (April 3-4) and the Bobcat Spring Invitational (April 9-11).

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Players Mentioned

Madison Cecil

Kylie Franklin

Tricia Joyce

Jessica Ponce

Raina Ports

University of Montana Athletics