Montana State University
NCAA Regionals
Montoya Heads to Gold Canyon for NCAA Regional
5/2/2025 11:50:00 AM | Women's Golf
2025 Big Sky champion Maddie Montoya is first Montana State golfer to compete in NCAA postseason in program history
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- For the first time ever, the Montana State golf season continues into May.
After winning a thrilling individual title at the 2025 Big Sky Championship two weeks ago in Litchfield Park, junior Maddie Montoya returns to Arizona this weekend in preparation for the Gold Canyon NCAA Regional, which begins Monday at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club.
The three-day, 54-hole stroke-play tournament hosted by Arizona State continues through Wednesday and features 12 teams and six individuals, including Montana State's third-ever conference champion and first-ever NCAA postseason participant.
Montoya, seeded the sixth individual qualifier in the Gold Canyon Regional, will play a practice round on Sunday morning ahead of her first round tee time on Monday at 9:50 a.m. PT alongside fellow individual qualifiers No. 4-seed Jensen Jalufka of Cal Poly and No. 5-seed Daniela Campillo of Louisiana-Monroe.
"She's going to be playing with some top dogs, but that doesn't mean she can't hang with them," head coach Brittany Basye said. "We want her to enjoy the moment. The first player to ever go to an NCAA Regional—we're not going to say anything different than what we've talked to her about in terms of sticking to the gameplan, which is hitting fairways and hitting greens and then getting your putts to drop. At the end of the day, if we can make it fun for her and she can still stay in her zone, that's what we want to do."
Live scoring will be carried on Scoreboard powered by Clippd.
Montoya, a junior from Boise, Idaho, punched her ticket to the NCAA Regionals on the back of an unforgettable run at the Big Sky Championship, carding a 4-under-par 209 (70-70-69) with three birdies across her last five holes in the final round to clinch the trophy.
The magical run was made more improbable by the fact that Montoya had never recorded a top-ten finish at a tournament in her career as a Bobcat, and had only carded one round below par this season before doing it three days in a row during the most important week of the spring.
Now, nearly 40 years since the Montana State women's golf program came into being, Maddie Montoya is the first Bobcat representative in the NCAA postseason.
"Our program is on the map," Basye said. "But now we're on the map inside the ropes at the NCAA Regionals, which is a big deal. A big deal for Montana State and for the Big Sky Conference. No different than getting a call to the Big Dance. Maddie earned it. Credit goes to her, because she's giving us that opportunity. This program is setting the tone for more of these to happen, and I think this is a good reflection of where our program is. Having Maddie represent Montana State University at our first NCAA Regional is awesome."
The setting where it all begins on Monday is Superstition Golf & Country Club, a par-72 course listed at 6,544 yards.
"I think she's going to have to be consistent, and when she has opportunities, she's going to have to knock down those opportunities," Basye said of their approach on the course this week. "I don't think she can get ahead of herself. She needs to be just like she was at conference—steady. If you can stay steady on this golf course that's a little bit longer, with the emotions of playing at this tournament—it's just different, you're inside the ropes. We're going to let Maddie go do Maddie's game."
NCAA Regional play takes place at six regional sites, with 396 participants and each site featuring 12 teams and six individuals. The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six individuals total) from each regional site advance to compete in the national championships to be played May 16-21 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.
66 golfers will hit the tee box on Monday in Gold Canyon, with the 12 teams competing including: No. 5 Oregon, No. 8 Arizona State (host), No. 17 Auburn, No. 20 Mississippi State, No. 29 Oklahoma State, No. 32 California, No. 44 Virginia Tech, No. 48 San Jose State, No. 53 Sacramento State, No. 74 Cal State Fullerton, No. 146 Navy, and No. 189 Quinnipiac.
Montoya is the sixth-seeded individual in her regional field behind No. 1 Vivian Lu (Washington), No. 2 Jasmine Leovao (Long Beach State), No. 3 Janae Leovao (Long Beach State), No. 4 Jensen Jalufka (Cal Poly), and No. 5 Daniela Campillo (ULM).
"She's so calm, cool, and collected," Basye said of Montoya. "We just want to keep her in 'Maddie Mode.' We wouldn't trade that for anything. It's going to be fun. I want her to enjoy the moment knowing there's no pressure and no expectations, but just to go play 'Maddie Golf.'"
Maddie Montoya Is Arizona-Bound ??
— Montana State Golf (@MSUBobcatsGolf) May 2, 2025
Another look back at the NCAA Women's Golf Selection Show reveal on Golf Channel that sent our Big Sky Champion to Gold Canyon! ?????#WYP | #GoCatsGo pic.twitter.com/TLnENHXmvC
MADDIE MONTOYA IS GOING DANCING IN THE DESERT ??????#WYP | #GoCatsGo pic.twitter.com/wFXD0KrElK
— Montana State Golf (@MSUBobcatsGolf) April 23, 2025
#GoCatsGoTHE SHOT.
— Montana State Golf (@MSUBobcatsGolf) April 16, 2025
THE WIN.
THE CELEBRATION.#WYP | #GoCatsGo pic.twitter.com/JVLwrzd1yT
Players Mentioned
