Ports collects fourth top-10 finish

Monday, April 7

Golf Club of Estrella; Goodyear, Ariz.

Montana

Bobcat Desert Classic

Photo by: VailSports Images

4/9/2025 4:25:00 PM | Golf

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By: Montana Sports Information

Raina Ports, who opened the tournament with scores of 72 and 71 on Monday and Tuesday, closed out the Bobcat Desert Classic with a final-round 74 on Wednesday to finish alone in 10th place in the 60-player field at the Golf Club of Estrella in Goodyear, Ariz.

Ports was 3-over through eight holes on Wednesday, then played her final 10 tournament holes at 1-under, birdieing the par-3 7th, to record her fourth collegiate top-10 finish, her second of the year, her first since tying for 10th at the Kelsey Chugg Invitational in September.

Nobody played the course's four par 3's better during the tournament. Five of Ports' nine birdies for the tournament came on par 3's.

"Raina was very solid tee to green again today," said coach Jimmy Mee, whose team shot a 304 on Wednesday and finished seventh in the 10-team field. "Her putter was a little cold on her but she hit it well."

It was Ports' sister, Hannah, who led the Grizzlies on Wednesday, shooting a 1-under 71, taking two strokes off her previous collegiate best of 73, which she shot twice last year. Her previous low score this year was a 75.

Starting her day on No. 14, she bogeyed her fifth and sixth holes of the day, but she knocked down four birdies after carding just one through the tournament's opening 36 holes.

Ports played her final eight holes at 2-under to post her first collegiate under-par round.

"Hannah played awesome. She put herself in position off the tee a lot better and was cool, calm and collected," said Mee.

"She had two bogeys in a row but she did a really good job of keeping her composure and not letting those holes affect what could be a really good round. Really cool to see her take a step in the right direction in terms of understanding that it's 18 holes and keeping it together."

Elle Higgins (71-75-77) tied for 24th, Hannah Ports (77-81-71) tied for 30th, Bella Johnson (78-74-82) tied for 39th and Kylie Franklin (77-80-83) finished 53rd.

Competing as an individual, Kate Bogenschutz (77-74-82) tied for 36th.

"We gained a little momentum this week," said Mee, whose team will return home to Missoula on Wednesday, then return to Arizona on Saturday for next week's Big Sky Conference Championship.

"Not everybody played their best each day but at least we saw some of everybody's best for stretches this week. Hopefully we can put it together for a few days next week and instead of only having three out of four scores, getting four out of four and see what happens."

Weber State (288-289-281) won the Bobcat Desert Classic by five strokes over Idaho (286-292-285), by six over Montana State (291-298-286).

Nine golfers finished the tournament under par for 54 holes, with Idaho's Zoe Newell (66-71-71) and Montana State's Lauren Greeny (67-73-68) both finishing 8-under. Greeny won the individual title by defeating Newell in a playoff.

The Big Sky Conference Championship will be played Monday through Wednesday at Wigwam Golf Club in Litchfield Park, Ariz.