WHITEFISH — Montana’s teams are locked in a tight battle with their neighbors from North of the border after the first day of competition at the 21st annual Montana-Alberta Junior Ryder Cup on Tuesday at Whitefish Lake Golf Club. The Montana girls lead Alberta 10 1/2 points to 7 1/2 and the Alberta boys lead by the same score. 

Kalispell’s Teigan Avery and Whitefish’s Coral Schulz dominated competition for the 16-year-old girls, shutting out the pair of Courtney Dickson of Innisfail and Kenna Hughes of Calgary in both four-ball play in the morning and Chapman in the afternoon to earn six points for the Montana girls. 

Avery and Schulz are fresh off competing against the best juniors in the U.S., playing at the Big ‘I’ National Championships last week in West Virginia.

Their points were the only ones the Montana team picked up in the Chapman rounds after dominating four-ball play. The Montana girls, which also included Butte’s Shealyn Hafer, Billings’ Kortney McNeil and Great Falls’ Casey and Catrinia Babinecz, earned 7 1/2 of their 10 1/2 points in the morning rounds.

The Montana boys are on the other side of the table, looking up at Canada’s group after struggling in four ball. Montana earned just a half point, from Great Falls’ Cody Babinecz and Billings’ Austin Walter, in the morning session to put themselves in a hole. 

The Montanans played much better in the afternoon, surrendering just two points. Libby’s Ryggs Johnston, teamed with Billings’ Caleb Trost, beat the Calgary pair of Chris Horton and Landon Stellingwerff 2-1. 

Anaconda’s Caleb Stetzner and Billings’ Payton Stott and the team of Babinecz and Walter each scored 2 1/2 points in Chapman.

Play concludes today. Montana swept the titles last season at Lethbridge Country Club.

Montana-Alberta Junior Ryder Cup

Tuesday

at Whitefish Lake Golf Club

First Round

Boys

Alberta 10/12, Montana 7 1/2

Morning Four Ball

South Course

Alberta 8 1/2, Montana 1/2

17’s

Cody Babinecz, GFlls/Austin Walter, Blgs1/2

Alex Corrigan, Calgary/Logan Hill, Rd Deer2 1/2

16’s

Caleb Stetzner, Acnda/Payton Stott, Blgs0

Brendan MacDougall, Clgry/Scott Walker, Clgry3

15’s

Ryggs Johnston, Libby/Caleb Trost, Billings0

Chris Horton, Clgry/Landon Stellingwerff, Clgry3

Afternoon Chapman

North Course

Montana 7, Alberta 2

17’s

Cody Babinecz/Austin Walter2 1/2

Alex Corrigan/Logan Hill1/2

16’s

Caleb Stetzner/Payton Stott2 1/2

Brendan MacDougall/Scott Walker1/2

15’s

Ryggs Johnston/Caleb Trost2

Cris Horton/Landon Stellingwerff1

Girls

Montana 10 1/2, Alberta 7 1/2

Morning Four Ball

South Course

Montana 7 1/2, Alberta 1 1/2

17’s

Shealyn Hafer, Butte/Kortney McNeil, Blgs3

Emily Creaser, Edmtn/Daphne Rantung, Clgry0

16’s

Teigan Avery, Klspl/Coral Schulz, Wfish3

Courtney Dickson, Innisfail/Kenna Hughes, Clgry0

15’s

Casey Babinecz, GFlls/Catrinia Babinecz, GFlls1 1/2

Annabelle Ackroyd, Clgry/Jaden Baustad, Clgry1 1/2

Afternoon Chapman

North Course

Alberta 6, Montana 3

17’s 

Shealyn Hafer/Kortney McNeil0

Emily Creaser/Daphne Rantung3

16’s

Teigan Avery/Coral Schulz3

Courtney Dickson/Kenna Hughes0

15’s 

Casey Babinecz/Catrinia Babinecz0

Annabelle Ackroyd/Jaden Baustad3