Golf Teams Tee Off in New York and Montana: Day One Recap

After two weeks off, NDSU’s golf teams hit the road. The men went out to upstate New York for the Metropolis Collegiate, and the women headed west to Montana for the Payne Stewart Memorial. The Bison came into New York as the defending champions, winning the previous Metropolis Collegiate to open the 2025-2026 season. The women's team made their return to the Payne Stewart Memorial after missing out on the event last season. The last time the Bison took part in the event hosted by Montana State, they tied for second with Oral Roberts.

Things haven’t progressed the way the Bison wanted after the opening rounds in the two events. On the men’s side, NDSU sits in a three-way tie with Lafayette and Fordham. The team ended the first two rounds with a 588(+28); the opening round was a 300(+20), which put NDSU towards the back. In the second half of the day, the Bison bounced back with a 288(+8). The women sit in fifth place after 36 holes with a 608(+40); like the men, the women opened slowly with a 306(+22) and bounced back with a 302(+18).

On the individual side of the events, senior Hannah Dunk sits in a tie for fifth place in Montana. Dunk opened with a 74(+3) and followed it up with a 73(+2) for a total of 147(+5). She has 25 pars through 36 holes. Sticking with the women, senior Norah Roberts, who finished in the top five in 2024, sits in a tie for 15th place with a 150(+8). She shot two rounds of 75(+4), with five birdies throughout the two rounds. Freshman Bella Kongshaug and sophomore Jeri Lafleche sit in a tie with three other golfers for 24th place. They’re sitting at 153(+11), Kongshaug shot a 78(+7) and a 75(+4) while Lafleche shot 79(+8) and 74(+3). Junior Avery Bartels is down in a four-way tie for 44th place with a 158(+16); she has two rounds of 79(+8) with two birdies. Finally, freshman Lauren Chambs is in a tie for 57th place with a 164(+22). Chambs opened with an 81(+10) and closed the opening day with an 83(+12).

Moving to the Men’s scores, sophomore Carter White opened the first round with twelve straight pars, and had both a hole-in-one and an eagle in the second round. White sits in a four-way tie for 16th place with a 146(+6). He finished the first round with a 74(+4) and the second round with a 72(+2). Freshman Peyton Albers is right behind him with a 147(+7). He struggled in the opening round with a 76(+6) but rebounded with a 71(+1) in the second round, where he shot three birdies.

Sophomore Andrew Ballou had a similar start, sitting in a tie for 28th after 36 holes; Ballou has a 148(+8). He opened with a 77(+7), then matched Albers with a 71(+1). Sophomore Joey Mackinac sits in a five-way tie for 34th place with a 149(+9).

Mackinac had one of the more consistent outings with an opening 75(+5) and a closing 74(+4). Junior Sean Moore and freshman Henry Johnson both sit down in a four-way tie for 62nd place with a 156(+16). Moore shot a 77(+7) and 79(+9) while Johnson shot a 75(+5) and an 81(+11).

Both teams will wrap up their tournaments on Tuesday, Oct. 13.