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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (July 29, 2025) – Northern Arizona women’s golf head coach Brad Bedortha has announced the Lumberjacks’ full 2025-26 schedule, featuring nine regular-season tournaments across the fall and spring semesters before the Big Sky Conference Championship in April.
This season’s schedule is highlighted by two home tournaments hosted by NAU – The Clash at Boulder Creek in October and the Red Rocks Invitational in March.
The Lumberjacks will open their season at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational, hosted by New Mexico on Sept. 8-9 at the UNM Championship Course in Albuquerque. Later in the month, NAU will travel to Vail, Colorado, to compete in the Golfweek Red Sky Classic, held Sept. 22-24 on the Fazio Course.
October kicks off with the Golf Iconic Classic, hosted by New Mexico State at the NMSU Golf Course from Oct. 13-15 in Las Cruces. Last time the ‘Jacks played this event was in 2023 where they finished sixth with a team total of even-par.
The fall slate wraps up with the fifth annual Clash at Boulder Creek, hosted by NAU on Oct. 27-28 in Boulder City, Nev., at the Boulder Creek Golf Club. Last year, the Lumberjacks delivered a record-breaking performance at The Clash, setting program bests for both an 18-hole round (-21) and 54-hole score (-27).
The spring season tees off with a new addition to the schedule: the Alice and John Wallace Women’s Golf Classic, hosted by Long Beach State from Feb. 14-16 at the Monterey Country Club in Palm Desert, Calif. NAU will then compete in the Lady Luck Invitational, hosted by UNLV. It will be the first time competing in this event, which is to be held at Las Vegas Country Club from March 2-3.
Returning home to Sedona, the Lumberjacks will host the 20th annual Red Rocks Invitational from March 13-15 at Oakcreek Country Club. Despite last year’s event being shortened to 18 holes due to poor weather, Ellena Slater secured her second career victory at the tournament. NAU has claimed the individual title in three of the past four years with Slater’s two wins and Eliska Kocourkova’s 2022 victory.
NAU will then head to Phoenix for the PING ASU Invitational, held March 23-25 at Papago Golf Course. Last season, Northern Arizona finished 10th among a competitive field with a total 887 (+23). April opens with another new tournament for the program, the Chevron Silverado Showdown, co-hosted by Oregon and Colorado. The three-day event will be held at the Silverado North Course in Napa, Calif. from April 6-8.
The season will wrap up with the Big Sky Conference Championship, held from April 20-22 at the Wigwam Blue Course in Litchfield Park, Ariz. NAU last won the team title in 2022, and in 2024, junior Lizzie Neale claimed the program’s second individual title in three years.
Neale shot a final-round 64 (-7), setting both a program and Big Sky Championship record. She finished with a 203 (-10) total, another record for both NAU and the conference, after rounds of 71 (E) and 68 (-3), helping the Lumberjacks to a second-place team finish.
In last year’s tournament, Amy Hodgkins led the Lumberjacks with a third-place finish, carding rounds of 72, 70, and 70 for a -1 total and earning All-Tournament team honors.
“I am very excited for our schedule this year,” Bedortha said. “We have added some really good events that will have a lot of great players competing. These tournaments are going to push our players to get better and they have an opportunity to be really competitive.”
Returning for NAU this season is a trio of All-Big Sky golfers in Hodgkins, Neale, and Frankie Dezis. Incoming senior Nina Lukyanenko will return alongside Ava Bates and Sumin Kang. Galfira Pomazkova will be the lone addition as a true freshman.