Griz head to Spokane for two-day tournament

The Montana women's golf team, two tournaments into its five-event fall schedule, will get back to competition when it plays at the Tri-State Invitational on Sunday and Monday.

The 36-hole tournament, with 18 holes each day, will take place at The Creek at Qualchan Golf Course in Spokane.

The Grizzlies will be competing with all nine of its golfers in the small tournament that also includes teams from Idaho, Idaho State and Eastern Washington, plus a handful of individuals from the programs at Gonzaga and Washington State.

"Should be fun this week," said coach Jimmy Mee, who will be using his third different top five through three fall tournaments. "Our 4 and 5 spots have been in limbo, so just trying to find that right combination. Hopefully we have some girls who step up and want to take hold of it."

Montana will compete with Raina Ports at No. 1, Elle Higgins at No. 2, Kendall Hayward at No. 3, Bella Johnson at No. 4 and Kate Bogenschutz at No. 5.

Hannah Ports, Madison Cecil, Kylie Franklin and Anna Stensrud, who will be making her collegiate debut, will compete as individuals.

Raina Ports (74.25), Hayward (75.75) and Higgins (76.25) have the team's top three scoring averages through two tournament and four rounds, with Ports tying for 10th and tying for 14th at the first two tournaments of the fall.

The season-opening Kelsey Chugg Invitational in Eden, Utah, was cut short by rain, turning it into a one-day, 36-hole tournament.

Montana, with rounds of 311 and 306 on a tough course, finished fourth out of 11 teams.

At last week's Eagle Invitational in Worley, Idaho, the opening round was cut short by a sketchy pin placement on one of the greens.

After a lengthy delay, Montana shot a 301 in the afternoon round. The Grizzlies came back the next day to shoot a 292, matching the fifth-best round in program history.

Montana finished ninth out of 13 teams.

"The fourth-place finish in Utah was awesome. In tough conditions, the girls really battled. It was awesome to see," said Mee.

"In (Worley), we could have handled a pretty weird, stressful situation a little bit better. The first round, we didn't play very well. The second round, we bounced back and played great."

Montana has a fall scoring average of 302.5.

"We need to get rid of a few of our three-putts and not make bogey when we're in perfect position off the tee," said Mee. "We need to make par or birdie when we're wedge from the middle of the fairway."

Freshman Bella Johnson, of Billings, has a two-tournament average of 78.0. She went 83-80 in Utah, then 75-74 last week in Idaho.

"It's been cool to see her step up," said Mee. "In Utah, we figured there would be some nerves. First college tournament, hard golf course, tough conditions.

"She got off to a rough start, then did a pretty good job, even though the scores didn't indicate it, of battling back and showing her capabilities.

"Then in (Worley), she was just solid. She hits it very straight. We're still working on her short game, as we do with everybody. If we can get her short game tightened up, she's going to be somebody to look out for. She hits it so well that she is always in position."

Mee's other freshman, Stensrud, of Missoula, will be making her college debut on Sunday and Monday in Spokane.

"The nerves never go away, whether it's your first tournament or your 50th, so you have to embrace it," said Mee. "Know they are coming, embrace them instead of shying away from them and thinking they are a bad thing.

"Okay, I'm nervous but I'm going to commit, I'm going to be aggressive and whatever happens, happens. If you can go out with that mindset, good things will happen."

Montana will turn around and play at the Portland State Invitational at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 14-15.

The Grizzlies are scheduled to wrap up their fall season at the French Broad Collegiate Invitational in Arden, N.C., in late October.

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Players Mentioned

Kate Bogenschutz

Madison Cecil

Kylie Franklin

Kendall Hayward

Elle Higgins

Bella Johnson

Hannah Ports

Raina Ports

Anna Stensrud

University of Montana Athletics