Sept. 21, 2009

Complete 18-Hole Results in PDF Format

PULLMAN, Wash. - Junior Sage Suffecool is in a four-way tie for second two shots out of the lead and freshman Victoria Fallgren is tied for seventh after the opening round Monday of the Northwest Dodge Dealers Inland Cup women's golf tournament at Palouse Ridge Golf Course.

The tournament calls for three days of 18 holes rather than the more traditional 36 holes on Monday and the final round on Tuesday.

Suffecool continued her solid play early in the season with a 74 over the 6,126-yard, par 72 rolling and tiered layout of the Palouse Ridge course which opened in August, 2008. Her round included four birdies.

Fallgren, who won the Bulldog and Eagle Invitational last week in her collegiate debut, shot an opening-round 77 and is in a two-way tie for seventh. Fallgren shot a school-record 67 in last week's final round to overtake Suffecool for medalist honors. Suffecool had equaled the school record with an opening-round 70 last week only to see Fallgren break it less than 24 hours later.

Amanda Jacobs of the University of Idaho is the first-round leader at even-par 72.

The Bulldogs find themselves in fifth place at 312, their highest round of the still young season. Gonzaga is three shots out of third which is shared by Idaho and Oregon State University at 309. The University of Nevada sits atop the leaderboard at 307, good for a 1-stroke lead over Sacramento State University.

Freshman Genna Dodge, who played as an individual last week, was inserted into the top five this week and shot an 80 for a tie for 24th. Sophomore Jessica Howe, 82, and junior Rachel Sibbitt, 84, rounded out the Gonzaga lineup. Only the top four scores count toward the team score.

"The golf course played tougher. It was cold this morning and although it wasn't a huge wind, there was wind," Gonzaga head coach Brad Rickel said. "We actually played okay with the exception of missing some 5-footers."

Rickel was pleased with the continued solid play of Suffecool and Fallgren.

"Victoria and Sage were solid. I'm especially proud of Sage. She 4-putted the sixth hole and still ended up two over. The greens are tough and we didn't get it done on the greens as a team," Rickel said. "But there will be better speed on putting tomorrow and I think we'll have a better day."

The tournament continues Tuesday and Wednesday beginning at 8 a.m. each day.