BOZEMAN — Billings Senior's Payton Tryan, the 2025 Class AA girls golf state champion, will defend her title next week as the top golfer from the Eastern AA.
Tryan shot a 2-under-par 68 Tuesday at Valley View Golf Club in Bozeman to vault to the top of the leaderboard and win the two-day Eastern AA divisional meet by three strokes. Bozeman's Will Benne defeated Jack Pinski of Great Falls CMR in a playoff to win boys individual medalist honors.
After struggling to a 79 in Monday's first round, Tryan, a senior who will golf in college at the University of Montana, burned up the course Tuesday. She had just one bogey on the day — on the par-3 fourth — and rolled in birdies on Nos. 2, 9 and 13. She carded pars on the other 14 holes as she overtook Billings West's Paige Loberg and Anna Fenhaus and Gallatin's Breckin Federick to take the win.
Tryan was the only girl to break 70 in Tuesday's second round. Loberg shot a 74 to follow up her first-day 76 and finish with 150 total strokes to place second behind Tryan's 147 strokes.
Fenhaus, who led after Day 1, finished third with 154 total strokes, while Frederick was fourth with 159 shots. Senior's Clare Jensen was fifth with 161 strokes.
The Broncs won the girls team trophy, edging West by nine strokes. Gallatin placed third.
Benne and Pinski had matching 1-under-par 139s through 36 holes, but Benne won in a playoff to earn the gold medal. On Tuesday, Benne was 3 under through 18, carding five birdies, including three straight on Nos. 7, 8 and 9, but a costly double bogey on No. 18 left him tied with Pinski.
Pinski, who was tied with Gallatin's Ty Tisdel atop the leaderboard after Monday's first round, was 2 under on an up-and-down Tuesday. He had three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 14th to go along with three bogeys.
Tisdel finished in third place, five strokes back of Benne and Pinski with 144 strokes. Sam Alke of Gallatin was fourth with 147 strokes, and Billings Senior's Karter Hammermeister and Bozeman's Lincoln Angst tied for fifth with 148 strokes.
Bozeman took the boys team title based on playoff procedure, as the Hawks and Rustlers both finished the tournament at +34. Gallatin placed third.
Eastern AA divisional golf meet
Sept. 21-22 at Valley View Golf Club, Bozeman
BOYS
Team scores: 1, Bozeman, +34 (won team trophy based on playoff procedure); 2, Great Falls CMR, +34; 3, Gallatin, +37; 4, Billings Skyview, +70; 5, Billings West, +74; 6, Billings Senior, +88; 7, Belgrade, +100; 8, Great Falls, +187.
Top 10: 1, Will Benne, Bozeman, 72-67—139 (won playoff); 2, Jack Pinski, Great Falls CMR, 71-68—139; 3, Ty Tisdel, Gallatin, 71-73—144; 4, Sam Alke, Gallatin, 72-75—147; T5, Karter Hammermeister, Billings Senior, 73-75—148; T5, Lincoln Angst, Bozeman, 75-73—148; 7, Andrew Johnson, Bozeman, 78-71—149; 8, Grant Golik, Great Falls CMR, 79-71—150; T9, Jayce Ostrum, Billings West, 77-74—151; T9, Gavin Mamangun, Belgrade, 79-72—151.
GIRLS
Team scores: 1, Billings Senior, +108; 2, Billings West, +117; 3, Gallatin, +120; 4, Billings Skyview, +241; 5, Great Falls CMR, +244; 6, Bozeman, +369; 7, Great Falls, +384; 8, Belgrade, +465.
Top 10: 1, Payton Tryan, Billings Senior, 79-68—147; 2, Paige Loberg, Billings West, 76-74—150; 3, Anna Fenhaus, Billings West, 75-79—154; 4, Breckin Frederick, Gallatin, 78-81—159; 5, Clare Jensen, Billings Senior, 80-81—161; 6, Aerin Ryan, Gallatin, 88-78—166; 7, Cailyn Rudolph, Billings Skyview, 87-83—170; 8, Aspen Lura, Gallatin, 89-83—172; 9, Karmella Saylor, Billings West, 87-90—177; 10, Ava Bryson, Billings Senior, 92-86—178.
For full results, click here.
