Yellowjacket women finish Otter Invite Tuesday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, March 21, 2017 Yellowjacket women finish Otter Invite Tuesday

MSUB’s women’s golf team wraps up the CSU Monterey Bay Invite on Tuesday, finishing in 14th place after a team score of 347 on Day 2.

SEASIDE, Calif. – Wrapping up the Cal State Monterey Bay Otter Invite on Tuesday, the Montana State University Billings women’s golf team finished in 14th place among the field of 18 at Bayonet Golf Course.

The Yellowjackets finished with a two-round total of 672, shooting a 325 in the opening round Monday and finishing with a score of 347 on Tuesday in damp playing conditions.

“I’m happy with how the team responded to the adversity of dealing with the tough windy, rainy conditions today,” said MSUB assistant coach Jeff Allen. “A long course was playing even longer, so that made it tough. I think they’ll all learn something from this, and hopefully it will help down the road this spring.”

Sammy Walter was the top finisher for MSUB, carding a two-round total of 166 and finishing in a tie for 54th place. Walter had a birdie and four pars on her way to a 5-over-par 41 on the front nine on Tuesday, and added five more pars on the back nine.

Sophomore Shealyn Hafer improved between rounds, finishing in a tie for 57th place with a score of 167 (85-82). Hafer had just two holes at double bogey on Tuesday, and used a birdie and eight pars to shoot the team’s best round of Day 2. On the par-3 14th hole, Hafer hit the green with her 6iron before draining a lengthy 20-foot putt to save a stroke.

Two strokes behind Hafer was junior Bailee Dexter, who wound up in a tie for 65th and carding a score of 169 (78-91). Dexter had one of the four birdies for MSUB on Tuesday, and added four pars on the front nine.

Junior Sammy Walter was MSUB’s top finisher at the Otter Invite.

Kortney McNeil wrapped up the tournament in a tie for 78th, finishing with a two-round score of 173 (83-90). Like Hafer, McNeil made birdie on the par-3 14th hole to save a stroke, and had a 45 on both the front and back nines on Tuesday. McNeil went about her birdie in a different fashion, sticking a 7-iron out of the tee box to within a foot of the cup for an easy tap-in.

Senior Haley Shackelford completed the field of competitors for the ‘Jackets, finishing in 83rd place with a score of 176 (82-94). Shackelford made par four times Tuesday, after tying for the team lead with a pair of birdies on Day 1 Monday.

Dallas Baptist University held on to win the team title, finishing with a team score of 606 (298-308). DBU’s Ann Parmerter took home medalist honors with a score of 149 (73-76), holding off a pair of second-place finishers by just two strokes.

Also competing in the event from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference were Western Washington University, which finished ninth at 648 (319-329), Concordia University, which finished 11th at 654 (330-324), and Saint Martin’s University just ahead of MSUB in 13th place at 664 (324-340).

“It will be nice to be home, and we are looking forward to playing our home course,” Allen said referring to next week’s tournament in Billings. “We are excited because the course is in good shape, and it should be a fun event. These women will be very hungry to get back out there and rebound.”

THE BUZZ: Hafer was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day. COMING UP: The MSUB women head home to host the Yellowjacket Spring Invite, scheduled to run next Monday and Tuesday at Lake Hills Golf Club in Billings.

CSU Monterey Bay Otter Invitational Bayonet Golf Course | Seaside, California Final Results | March 21, 2017

Team – 1. Dallas Baptist, 606 (298-308); 14. MSU Billings, 672 (325-347). Individual – 1. Ann Parmerter, DBU, 149 (7376); T54. Sammy Walter, MSUB, 166 (82-84); T57. Shealyn Hafer, MSUB, 167 (85-82); T65. Bailee Dexter, MSUB, 169 (7891); T78. Kortney McNeil, MSUB, 173 (83-90); 83. Haley Shackelford, MSUB, 176 (82-94).

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