Griz head to Omaha as fall season continues

The Montana women's golf team will play its third of four fall tournaments on Monday and Tuesday when the Grizzlies compete at the Big O Classic in Omaha, Neb.

The event will be held at Oak Hills Country Club, with 36 holes on Monday starting at 8 a.m. (MT), 18 holes on Tuesday beginning at 7:30 a.m. (MT).

The tournament will feature 12 teams, including Idaho State and Northern Colorado from the Big Sky Conference.

The Grizzlies competed at the tournament last October as well, finishing fifth out of nine teams with rounds of 310, 316 and 323. Wichita State (302-311-313) won the tournament.

"Fast, tough greens," said coach Kris Nord about Oak Hills. "If you miss the green, if you just go off the fringe, you are in heavy stuff and it's really challenging from that aspect."

Kylie Franklin (79-78-78) tied for 14th at last year's Big O Classic. She was the only Grizzly with three rounds in the 70s. Tricia Joyce (77-78-82) tied for 18th.

"It's the tournament that helped me convince Tricia to get new wedges because she was getting out of the long stuff with what she thought were good shots and they would roll 60 feet away," said Nord.

"With new wedges, she's getting some spin on the ball and it makes a huge difference on courses like this, where the teeth of it is in the greens."

Montana will compete with a lineup of freshman Elle Higgins (1), Raina Ports (2), Joyce (3), Kendall Hayward (4) and Hannah Ports (5).

Montana tied for 10th at the Big Sky Conference 54 for IX tournament in Utah on Monday and Tuesday, shooting rounds of 298, 299 and 298.

The Grizzlies' team score of 895 tied for the second-lowest in program history.

"We did not make any putts," said Nord. "We were the team that was on the edges and everybody else was making them. If we hit our approach shots closer and make a few more putts, we're there. It's nice to be that close."

Higgins made her collegiate stroke-play debut shooting rounds of 73, 73 and 70 to tie for 14th.

Her 216 was the best tournament score by a Griz freshman since Barbara Bakova shot rounds of 73, 74 and 69 at the Grizzly Invitational at the Missoula Country Club in September 2013.

It was the best score by any Montana golfer since Baylee Barckley (68-72-73) shot a 213 at the Red Rocks Invitational in March 2019.

"Not a surprise," said Nord of Higgins' performance. "That was a really good start for her at a course that was not that easy.

"I like the fact she knows she can finish better. It's the total mental approach we need from incoming kids for us to close the gap and compete with the top teams in this conference."

Raina Ports (72-74-76), Joyce (75-73-75), Hayward (79-76-75) and Hannah Ports (78-76-77) all were in the 70s at TalonsCove Golf Club for all three rounds.

Montana will wrap up its fall schedule at the Eagle Invitational at Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane, Wash., on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 9-10.

"It's going quick," said Nord. "I hope we have a good, long fall so that once we're done with Spokane, we can go out and really get to work and keep tightening things up."

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Kylie Franklin

Kendall Hayward

Elle Higgins

Tricia Joyce

Hannah Ports

Raina Ports

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