2010 Tournament Program
First-Day Pairings
The desert oasis that is the Ocotillo Golf Resort will play host to the 2010 Big Sky Conference Golf Championship presented by Black Clover starting Monday. Northern Arizona hopes the course proves magical for a second straight season.
A veteran Sacramento State squad, and improving teams from Portland State and Montana hope to squash the Lumberjacks’ repeat plans.
The first tee-times on Monday are at 6:30 a.m. at the Chandler, Ariz., course. Teams will tee off Tuesday at 6:30 a.m., and at the same time on Wednesday for the final round.
The Lumberjacks enter the 54-hole tournament favored to repeat following a regular-season in which Brad Bedortha’s club won four tournament titles. NAU opened the fall season with three consecutive team titles and picked up a fourth championship at their own Red Rocks Invitational this spring.
NAU is led by Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year Stephanie Kim, who has two individual titles and a school-record round of 68 already on her collegiate resume. All five NAU golfers in the championship lineup earned all-conference honors.
Northern Arizona averaged a league-low 304.88 strokes per round in 10 tournaments. Sacramento State was second at 310.39, followed by Portland State at 310.96, and Montana at 311.96.
NAU, PSU and UM all played strong at Ocotillo during the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic on April 5-6. Northern Arizona shot rounds of 301, 302, 294 for an 897, tying for second place. Portland State was fifth at 902. Montana was seventh with a 914. Sacramento State did not compete. Northern Arizona won last year’s championship with a 914.
Portland State enters playing its best golf of the season. The Vikings averaged a league-low 306.58 strokes per round this spring, just ahead of Northern Arizona at 307.64.
The Vikings, who surprised the field by winning the 2008 Big Sky Championship, are led by freshman Britney Yada and senior Stephanie Johns. Yada averaged a league-low 73.91 strokes per round this spring. Johns, who missed five tournaments this season because of injury, played the final two tournaments of the season, breaking 80 in all six rounds.
David Sutherland brings a veteran Sacramento State club to Ocotillo. The Hornets struggled in their final two tournaments, but figure to be very dangerous this week. Sophomore Julie Shutler earned first team All-Conference honors, averaging 76.35 strokes per round. Four of the five in the Hornets’ lineup played at last year’s championship with Brooke Green, Justine Chen and Samantha Saffold all finishing in the top 10.
Montana’s lineup is led by first team all-conference sophomore Lauren Howell and second team All-Conference junior Carissa Simmons, who has finished in the top 10 at the championship two consecutive seasons.
Northern Colorado sophomore Ali Nelson is the reigning medalist. Nelson won last year’s event with a six-over-par 222. This year’s winning score should be closer to par. Kim won medalist honors at Wyoming with an even-par 216. Yada was second with a 218, and Howell tied for third with a 219.