Griz in sixth after 18 holes

The Montana women's golf team opened the Bobcat Desert Classic with a 297 on Monday at the Golf Club of Estrella in Goodyear, Ariz.

The Grizzlies are in sixth place out of 10 teams after shooting their best score of the spring and their best score since carding a 296 in the second round of the Tri-State Invitational in Spokane in early October.

After playing rounds of 333, 324 and 318 last week at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic in heavy winds in Maricopa, Ariz., Montana took advantage of better conditions and a more scoreable course on Monday.

"When it's that hard, you're pressing and attitudes can get a little down if nobody's shooting a good score," said coach Jimmy Mee.

"We were in better spirits going into this one knowing we were going to have as good of weather as you can have for a golf tournament."

Led by Elle Higgins and Raina Ports, Montana's five scoring players all made their way around the par-72 course with a score of 78 or better.

Higgins, who had to withdraw from last week's tournament because of an existing injury, had three bogeys through Monday's opening seven holes but then went on a tear.

Starting with the par-4 9th, she played her next eight holes at 4-under, ending her day with a 1-under 71, her best score of the year and the fourth-best of her Montana career.

She is tied for eighth on the leaderboard, five off the pace set by Idaho's Zoe Newell, who shot a 66 and had an immaculate scorecard: six birdies, 12 pars.

Ports shot an even-par 72 and is tied for 11th. She also finished strong, birdieing three of the course's final five holes to post her sixth-best collegiate round.

"The back nine on this course is probably a little harder (than the front nine), but they just settled in," said Mee of Higgins and Ports.

"They were maybe a little nervy to start, so then you make some tentative swings and put yourself in some bad spots. They got settled in nicely."

Hannah Ports and Kylie Franklin both shot 77, Franklin's best round since October, and Bella Johnson shot a 78. Competing as an individual, Kate Bogenschutz shot a 77, her best round of the spring.

Hannah Ports, Franklin and Bogenschutz are tied for 32nd, Johnson is tied for 40th.

With the Big Sky Conference Championship being held next week in nearby Litchfield Park, the field at the Bobcat Desert Classic is seven-tenths Big Sky teams and the individual leaderboard reflects it.

One shot behind Newell is Montana State's Lauren Greeny, who shot a 67. Golfers from Portland State and Weber State carded scores of 69, as did a golfer from Wyoming.

Idaho finished with a team score of 286, two strokes better than Utah Tech and Weber State. Montana State shot a 291.

The tournament's second round will be played on Tuesday, the final 18 on Wednesday.

Next week's Big Sky Conference Championship will be played on the Blue Course at Wigwam Golf Club.

University of Montana Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Kate Bogenschutz

Kylie Franklin

Elle Higgins

Bella Johnson

Hannah Ports

Raina Ports

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