The Portland State University women’s golf team is heading into the Big Sky Conference Championship Tournament playing its best golf of the season, according to an April 16 announcement.
This development comes as the Vikings have recorded their highest team scoring average in six years and posted strong results in recent tournaments. The team’s current average stands at 302.8, while their performance over the last two events has improved to a 296.0 average. A round of 291 at last month’s Jackrabbits Invitational marked their best single-round score in seven seasons, and their overall tournament score of 878 was the best by a Viking squad in eight years.
The Big Sky Championship will take place from April 20 to April 22 at Wigwam Resort’s Blue Course in Litchfield, Arizona. Sacramento State enters as three-time defending champion and is considered the favorite, with Portland State set to play alongside them during Monday’s opening round. The Vikings have finished eighth in each of the past three championships but aim to improve this year after outplaying four conference rivals at last week’s Bobcat Desert Classic.
Four different players have led Portland State in scoring across eight tournaments this season—a sign that any member can contribute significantly on any given day. Junior Cynthia Valerie Ong leads with a scoring average of 75.29 strokes per round, followed by her sister Caithlyn Ong (76.33), sophomore Maddie Dustin (76.50), senior Payten Shimizu (76.81), and senior Bayler Brundage (77.95). Junior Momo Udom will also be available for competition.
Historically, Portland State began its women’s golf program in the late nineties and captured seven conference titles between 2003 and 2014 but has recently placed lower on the leaderboard when competing at Wigwam Resort—the site of this year’s championship event.
