MISSOULA — Montana freshman Zoe Bar-Or was named the Big Sky Conference co-golfer of the week on Wednesday by the league office.
Bar-Or shared the honors with Portland State senior Cynthia Valerie Ong. Bar-Or and Ong tied for the win at this week’s Sun Mountain Intercollegiate at the Missoula Country Club.
Bar-Or becomes Montana’s first Big Sky golfer of the week since Baylee Barckley in 2018-19, the first Grizzly freshman to win golfer of the week honors since Barbora Bakova in 2013-14.
Bar-Or was tied for sixth at the Sun Mountain Intercollegiate after 18 holes on Monday, though her 77 was only two strokes off Ong’s tournament-leading 75.
The freshman, with five birdies, responded with a 1-under 70 for Monday’s second round, giving Bar-Or a one-stroke lead over Ong and her PSU teammate Maddie Dustin.
Two birdies over the first five holes to open Tuesday’s final round gave Bar-Or a four-stroke advantage.
Bar-Or was three strokes up on Ong after the Viking bogeyed 16, but Bar-Or had a bogey on 17, then Ong birdied No. 18 while Bar-Or missed a short par putt that would have given her the outright title.
Her tap-in for bogey left both players at 7-over for the tournament.
It was Montana’s 19th tournament title in program history, the first for the Grizzlies since Jessica Ponce was the co-champion of the Grizzly Invitational at the Missoula Country Club in October 2021.
Bar-Or, who finished with rounds of 77, 70 and 73, is only the third freshman in program history to win a tournament.
Tara Green won the Folino Invitational at Industry Hills Golf Club in Industry Hills, Calif., in February 2012 with scores of 74, 68 and 78 in a field of 70.
Jennifer Chappell won the Eastern Washington Invitational at the Creek at Qualchan Golf Course in Spokane in October 1995 with rounds of 83 and 84.
Through three tournaments and nine rounds as a Grizzly, Bar-Or has a stroke average of 75.44. The best full-season stroke average for a freshman in program history is 76.15, set by Elle Higgins in 2023-24.
Montana won the Sun Mountain Intercollegiate with scores of 308, 295 and 299. It was the Grizzlies’ 10th all-time team title.
Montana’s three-round total of 902 tied for the 10th-best tournament score in program history.
Montana will wrap up its four-tournament fall schedule at the French Broad Collegiate Invitational. The tournament will be played Oct. 26-27 at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Arden, N.C.
