Albuquerque Journal

Ewart, Lobos Atop MWC
By Glen Rosales For the Journal

Jodi Ewart is in an unusual position and she has an old friend to thank for it.
   
Heading into today's second round of the Mountain West Conference golf tournament at the par-73, 6,167-yard UNM Championship Course, Ewart was on top of the field.
   
Her 1-under 72 has her leading a tournament in the first round for the first time and she helped the Lobos to an early nine-stroke team lead.
   
"I'm always coming from behind to win," she said, explaining her usual method of competing. "So I just have to go out and play my game and keep calm."
   
With breezy conditions most of the day, Ewart could hardly grip it and rip it.
   
Instead she had to rely on a control game, and that's where she turned to an old club that she had discarded.
   
"I went back to my old putter. It was a good decision," said Ewart, who discarded it in November for something different. "Sometimes golfers get bored looking at the same putter. At first it worked, but then I just never felt comfortable."
   
That wasn't the case Thursday.
   
"I can't tell you how long it's been since I felt comfortable looking over a putt," Ewart said. "It was a nice feeling knowing I was going to make my putts."
   
Teammate Britney Choy didn't find that same comfort zone, but she was able to shoot a 1-over 74 to sit in a three-way tie for third.
   
"I missed three putts for birdie that were inside 10 feet," said Choy. "I had an up-and- down round."
   
Considering she was 3 over after five holes, she made a good recovery.
   
"It was chilly and windy in the morning," Choy said. "It took me awhile to warm up. I wasn't really hitting the ball that badly."
   
She finally rolled in a birdie putt on the eighth hole to get going.
   
With Ewart and Choy setting the tone, the Lobos romped to a big lead with their top four players all among the leaders.
   
"They really buckled down and played well on the back side," said UNM coach Jill Trujillo. "For the first 12 or 13 holes, it was really windy. The front side is where we're going to take it low."
   
Ewart and Choy were followed by teammates Morgan Grantham and Mikaela Backstedt, both at 3 over.
   
As a team, New Mexico shot a 6-over 298 to hold a commanding leader over runner-up BYU. UNLV is in third at 10 over. New Mexico is playing for an automatic berth in one of the three NCAA regionals.
   
The start was exactly what the Lobos wanted on their home course.
  
  "We're never going to stop until it's over," Trujillo said. "We're going to keep fighting no matter whether we're in first place or in last place. We're always fighting to get up there."
   
New Mexico won't have to do much fighting. Instead, it will be the rest of the seven-team field that will be chasing the Lobos.
   
"This was important because this is our home course," Choy said. "We don't want anybody to be right up there with us."