Porter notches season-best 67 in Round 1 to pace ‘Jacket men Monday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Monday, April 4, 2016 Porter notches season-best 67 in Round 1 to pace ‘Jacket men Monday

Michael Porter ties for the ninth-best single round in MSUB men’s golf history with a 67 in the first of two rounds Monday at the Western New Mexico University Invitational.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Michael Porter carded the fourth-best round of the season in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and ninth-best in Montana State University Billings men’s golf history with a 5-under-par 67 in Round 1 of the Western New Mexico University Invitational at Palm Valley Golf Club Monday.

Junior Connor Miele and freshman Braden Luper were each also under par in the first round, carding a pair of 71s that helped the ‘Jackets to their ninth-best single team round in program history at 284. MSUB finished the day with a 310 in Round 2, and is in 16th place with a total score of 594 with the third and final round set for Tuesday.

“We were really good this morning, but just didn’t back it up in the afternoon,” commented MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. “Overall Michael played extremely well the entire day. He grinded out his first round, and had quite a few near misses as well, or he could’ve been even lower. Braden had a very good overall day of golf too, and his short game carried him throughout. He had a couple amazing up and downs.”

Porter came out on fire, with a birdie on the par-4, 330-yard first hole and an eagle on the par-5, 540-yard second. He worked onto the green with his hybrid after blasting a long drive, and finished with a solid putt to start off the day on the right foot.

The junior never looked back from there, adding birdies on holes five and six and 14 pars including the entire back nine. He finished the day with a 3over-par 75 in Round 2 for a total of 142, as he had two more birdies and a dozen more pars his second time through the course. Porter did not have a bogey until the fifth hole in his second round, and played just four holes over par on the day as he currently sits in a tie for 22nd place.

Miele had five birdies in the first round, coming one stroke shy of matching his season-low single-round score of 70. The junior added three more birdies in Round 2, finishing with a 79 for a two-round total of 150 for a tie for 71st place.

“Connor played very well in the morning,” Woodin said. “I think that playing 36 holes in the heat and not being used to it hurt us a little bit, but we just didn’t execute our shots very well at the end of the day.”

Luper had three birdies and just two bogeys his first time through, adding 13 pars to match Miele’s mark. He had a pair of birdies in his second round, including a 2 on the lengthy, 225-yard, par-3 13th hole. Luper carded a 77 in Round 2 for a two-round total of 148 in the first day of the event, and is in a tie for 61st place.

Freshman Braden Luper had a 1-under-par 71 in Round 1 for the ‘Jackets on Monday.

Freshmen Austin Walter and Scott Larson contributed to the low team score, each shooting a 75 in the first round. Walter had a birdie and only played three holes above par, showing nice consistency with 14 pars in the opening round. Larson had back-to-back birdies on holes one and two, highlighting a second round in which he also made par 10 times. Larson finished with a 79 in Round 2 for a total score of 154, and Walter wound up with a 154 as well as he matched Larson’s 79 in the second.

The two are tied for 85th place.

“Austin played pretty consistently in the first round, and hit the ball well,” Woodin said. “Scott got off to a poor start but he rallied to finish with a solid 75.”

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs leads the field after Day 1 action, as the team posted rounds of 278 and 280 for a 558 and a one-stroke lead over second-place BYU-Hawaii. The Seasiders’ Brent Grant leads the individual field, shooting rounds of 65 and 69 for a score of 134 and a one-stroke lead over second-place Colin Prater of UCCS. Also competing in the event from the GNAC are Western Washington University (574, 7th place), and Simon Fraser University (575, 10th place).

“We are looking forward to tomorrow’s round, and I’d like to see us play very well and limit our mistakes,” Woodin said.

“If we can play more consistently, then we have a chance to post a good score.”

THE BUZZ: Porter was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…he became the second player of the season to break the mark of 70, joining Luper’s mark of 69 in the fall of 2015…

NEXT UP: The tournament concludes Tuesday with the third and final round. Live statistics will be available through Golf Stat here.

Western New Mexico University Invitational – Round 1 Results Palm Valley Golf Club | Goodyear, AZ | April 4, 2016 Team – 1. UC Colorado Springs, 558 (278-280); MSU Billings, 594 (284-310). Individual – 1. Brent Grant, BYU-Hawaii, 134 (65-69); T22. Michael Porter, MSUB, 142 (67-75); T61. Braden Luper, MSUB, 148 (71-77); T71. Connor Miele, MSUB, 150 (71-79); T85. Austin Walter, MSUB, 154 (75-79); T85. Scott Larson, MSUB, 154 (75-79).

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