MSUB women start spring strong in Las Vegas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Friday, March 10, 2017 MSUB women start spring strong in Las Vegas

MSUB’s women’s golf team posts a team score of 310, including a season-best round of 74 from Kortney McNeil, in its first event of the 2017 spring season.

LAS VEGAS – Kortney McNeil opened her 2017 spring season with the best round of her sophomore campaign, shooting a 2-over-par 74 to lead the Montana State University Billings women’s golf team in Round 1 of the Beaver-Jacket Invite at Aliante Golf Club Friday.

McNeil’s strong opening round helped the ‘Jackets shoot a 310 as a team at the par-72, 6,117-yard course layout. The Yellowjackets hold a healthy 31-stroke lead in first place over second-place Rocky Mountain College, with one round left to play. “This was a great start for our women, and I was very impressed with how hard they worked today,” said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. “We have the ability to go lower, and if we can lag putt better tomorrow then we can eliminate some of the 3-putts we had today. Overall, it was a good start for it being our first round of the spring season.”

McNeil reached a dozen greens in regulation, and needed just 32 putts to get through her first 18 holes. Strong play with her wedge left her with 10-foot putts on holes nine and 11, as she saved a pair of strokes with birdies. “I am really proud of the way that Kortney played, and she kept the ball in play well today and hit her 3-wood off of the tee quite a bit,” Woodin said on McNeil, who sits in first place after Day 1 of competition. “She was really steady throughout the round, and she drove the ball beautifully all day. Other than one double-bogey, she played very well.”

Fellow sophomore Shealyn Hafer was just one stroke behind McNeil, posting a 3-over-par 75 to jump into second place. Hafer hit 11 of 14 greens in regulation, and reached a dozen fairways out of the tee box. On the 12th hole, Hafer posted a birdie thanks to a chip-in from 15 yards off the green.

Sammy Walter, who entered the event as MSUB’s leading scorer on the season, finished with a round of 79. The junior came out of the gates on fire, shooting a 1-under-par 35 on the front nine.

Her strong start featured consecutive birdies on holes 5-through7, the latter coming on a 2-foot tap-in after sticking her wedge shot. Walter is in a tie for third place, and hit 11 of 14 greens in regulation on the day.

MSUB’s Shealyn Hafer had a career-low single-round score of 75 on Friday.

Senior Haley Shackelford and junior Bailee Dexter each posted a score of 82 in their first round of the spring, and are tied for seventh place. Shackelford saved a stroke by chipping to one foot on the eighth hole, making birdie on the par-5.

THE BUZZ: McNeil was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…Hafer’s 75 was a career-low single-round score.

NEXT UP: The tournament concludes on Saturday, with the second round teeing off at 8:22 a.m. Pacific time.

2017 Beaver-Jacket Invite Aliante Golf Club | Las Vegas, Nevada Round 1 Results | March 10, 2017 Team – 1. MSU Billings, 310. Individual – 1. Kortney McNeil, MSUB, 74; 2. Shealyn Hafer, MSUB, 75; T3. Sammy Walter, MSUB, 79; T7. Bailee Dexter, MSUB, 82; T7. Haley Shackelford, MSUB, 82.

--@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--