Bobcats Golf in Full Swing

While most MSU students are plowing their way through snow this spring, one group has managed to avoid the wintry weather. The MSU women’s golf team has remained busy competing in tournaments in sunny Arizona — during the past week the team played in two tournaments.

The PSU/EWU Invitational took place March 28-29 in Chandler, Ariz. at Ocotillo Golf Club. The contest consisted of six Big Sky Conference teams (four members per team) playing three rounds of golf, 54 holes, over the two-day competition. The Bobcats finished six of six, but were only two strokes behind rivals Eastern Washington and University of Montana. The Bobcats put up a score of 927 (313-302-312). Tournament winner Portland State’s score was an impressive 870. Despite the disappointing finish, a few MSU women’s golfers placed well individually. Sophomore Kelly Hooper placed second in the tournament, shooting a nice seven-over par during the three-round span. Sophomore Delaney Elliott shot nine-over par, earning her a top-10 finish, her first of the season.

The Bobcats’ next tournament, the Cowgirl Classic, took place at the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona on April 1-2. The Cats competed against a field of twenty other collegiate golf teams at the 54-hole competition. Although the women’s team finished near the end of the pack, three MSU golfers, senior Jaylee Tait, junior Clare Dittemore and sophomore Kelly Hooper, finished their best 18-hole rounds of tournament play during the final 18 holes of competition on Tuesday.

Their effort helped MSU shoot a score of 297, their third best of the season, on Tuesday during the final round. The team shot a combined score of 910 (310-303-297), putting them in 16th place overall for the tournament. This is the best 54-hole score for the Cats during 2017-2018 season so far. The score is also sixth best in program history. MSU’s best individual performance was three-over during the competition by Hooper. Her score of 219 tied her for 15th overall.

The Bobcats’ next tournament will be their own, the Bobcat Spring Invitational, taking place on April 9-10 at the Golf Club of Estrella in Goodyear, Ariz.