Quick Turnaround for Golf with Bobcat Desert Classic on Horizon

Bobcat Desert Classic

SCHEDULE	Sunday, April 9 | Round 1 | 10 a.m.
	Monday, April 10 | Round 2 | 10 a.m.
	Tuesday, April 11 | Round 3 | 7:30 a.m.
COURSE	The Golf Club of Estrella | Goodyear, Ariz.
PAR | YARDAGE	Par 72 | 6,279 Yards
FIELD	Montana State (Host), Eastern Washington, Grand Canyon, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Portland State, Rock Mountain College, Utah Tech, Weber State
LIVE RESULTS	Golfstat
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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (April 7, 2023) – Fresh off competition from earlier this week, the Northern Arizona University golf team resumes action for its final regular season tournament at the Bobcat Desert Classic. The classic runs from Sunday, April 9 to Tuesday, April 11 in Goodyear, Ariz., at The Golf Club of Estrella (par-72, 6,279-yards) and is hosted by Big Sky Conference foe, Montana State.
 
The 'Jacks will play a single round of 18-holes each day, beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday and Monday. On the final day, NAU will tee off at 7:30 a.m.
 
The week will serve as the best preview to the Big Sky Championships as possible, as NAU will be competing against Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Portland State, Weber State and the hosts Montana State. Also in the field are Grand Canyon, Utah Tech, and Rocky Mountain College.
 
Northern Arizona checks in at No. 117 in the latest Golfstat rankings, which is the second-highest out of the 11-team field behind Grand Canyon at No. 94.
 
Competing for the Lumberjacks is Ellena Slater, Lizzie Neale, Aleksandra Chekalina, Ashley Croft and Nina Lukyanenko. Lorel Hayward and Ekaterina Malakhova will be competing as individuals.
 
Lizzie Neale led the way for the 'Jacks with a 15^th-place finish at the Cowgirl Classic. In the opening round, Neale shot a 69 (-3) for her first career round in the 60's and her seventh round this season at par or better. Neale is second on the team with a scoring average of 74.19, behind Slater who leads the way with an average of 72.83 and has 59 birdies and an eagle on the year.
 
If Slater's average holds, she will set NAU's single-season scoring average record, while Neale would finish fourth all-time. Chekalina, a senior, has an average of 74.24 so far this season which would rank fifth.
 
NAU battled windy and cold conditions at the Cowgirl Classic and finished 10^th out of 20 teams, just 10 strokes out of fifth place and five strokes out of seventh. The 'Jacks shot 54-over par with 918 strokes total. Through 24 total rounds so far this season, NAU has a team scoring average of 295.67, finishing in the top-15 in every event.
 
Northern Arizona made its first appearance at the Bobcat Desert Classic a season ago and brought home a second-place finish after shooting 38-over par for a 902. Malakhova led the 'Jacks with a fifth-place finish after shooting a 222 (+6).
 
Chekalina also notched a top-ten finish after shooting 227 (+11). Through 21 rounds of golf so far this season, Chekalina is third on the team in scoring average and has four rounds at par or better, including two rounds in the 60's.
 
Hayward and Croft also competed at the classic last season, with Hayward finishing tied for 16^th and Croft ended tied for 33^rd.
 
The Bobcat Desert Classic serves as the final tune-up before the Big Sky Conference Championships that run from April 17-19 in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the Talking Stick Resort (72-par, 6,247 yards) where NAU will look to defend its conference title. The championships are hosted by Montana State and one round of 18 holes will be played each day beginning at 7 a.m.