FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (March 7, 2020) – Two tournaments into their spring season, the Northern Arizona golf team hopes to see continued improvement starting Monday at the Juli Inkster at Meadow Club Invitational, co-hosted by San Francisco and San Jose State. The two-day tournament at the par-72, 6,157 yard Meadow Club in Fairfax, Calif. will begin with 36 holes on Monday followed by 18 holes on Tuesday with shotgun starts at 8:30 a.m.
The field will be a highly competitive one with nine of the 13 teams slated to compete ranked in the top 100 led by Oregon State, ranked No. 31. Four of those teams (Oregon State, Washington, California and Washington State) are from the Pac-12 and both of the co-hosts, San Jose State and San Francisco, are ranked in the top 75 nationally.
This year will mark NAU's first appearance in the six-year history of the tournament in Fairfax, and it'll be the Lumberjacks' final tournament of the spring outside of Arizona. NAU will play its next two tournaments, including its own Red Rocks Invitational, in the state followed by the Big Sky Championships in Scottsdale at the end of April.
The Lumberjacks made some strides in their last tournament two weeks ago at the GCU Invitational where they placed 10th out of 14 teams in the rain-shortened tourney. Originally scheduled for three rounds, the tournament was limited to two due to rain in Phoenix.
NAU shot 31-over par 607 (300-307) in finishing 10th. Through most of the first round, the 'Jacks found themselves in the top three before sliding to sixth at the end of the first day.
Sophomore
Ashley Croft, who was playing as an individual, posted NAU's best finish at three-over par 147 (73-74). Croft's performance, which was just one stroke off her best 36-hole score of the season, landed her in a tie for 14th.
The Lumberjacks' top two golfers in the lineup – sophomore
Aleksandra Chekalina and freshman
Alyza Flores – tied for 18th on the individual leaderboard. Both players finished at five-over par 149, with Flores recording the Lumberjacks' low round of the GCU Invitational with an even-par 72 in the first round.
The three 'Jacks will lead NAU into the Juli Inkster at Meadow Club Invitational as part of a lineup that will also include senior
Emma Reyes and sophomore
Elle Kocourkova.
The five golfers hold the team's five-lowest stroke averages of the season with Chekalina leading the team at 75.25. Chekalina is tied with Croft for most top 20 individual finishes with three through seven total tournaments this season.
Croft's stroke average of 75.40 is right behind Chekalina, while Kocourkova ranks third on the team at 76.24. Kocourkova has two top 20 finishes this season.
Live scoring for the Juli Inkster at Meadow Club Invitational will be available on
Golfstat.
