The same could also be said of Kelly Gillum of Fort Collins, Colo., and Tess Stevenson of Kalispell.
All three put together scores of 2-over-par 74 in the sizzling heat Tuesday to share the first-round lead at the 91st State Amateur, which is being played at Laurel Golf Club.
“It's kind of weird, kind of crazy,” the 20-year-old Stepanek said of being among the leaders. “I came out here and wanted to play my best. Just hopefully it will keep going.”
The 54-hole tournament, which will run through Thursday, includes 189 of the state's leading players, ranging in age from 14 to 83. The field consists of 89 amateurs and 100 seniors.
Defending champion Rachel Warren of Billings closed with a 1-under 35 and is two shots behind the leaders at 76. LaRae Smith, another MSU golfer, is sitting at 77.
Young guns Erin King, 17, and Lindsey Holzwarth, 19, both of Billings, fired 78s. King will be a senior at Billings West this fall, while Holzwarth will be a sophomore at Rocky Mountain College.
They are tied with another Billings golfer, Kathie Dugger, 39, who has won seven consecutive club championships at Yellowstone Country Club.
Tuesday's opening round on the 5,509-yard layout lasted 12 hours and 15 minutes, ending at 7:45 p.m. A few minutes later, stormy weather settled over the course, bringing spectacular lightning and heavy rain.
Stepanek, Gillum and Stevenson all played in 96-degree heat in the afternoon.
“One of my friends (Tai Lee Jam of Columbia Falls) came down and caddied for me, so she really kept my spirits pretty high,” said Stepanek. “It's hard to stay focused when it's so hot outside and when rounds are moving slowly. It was nice to have somebody there to talk to and joke with about the heat and keep me in good spirits.”
Stepanek was also pleased with her short game. “I stayed pretty consistent,” she said. “I didn't get too wild today. I tried not to do anything too crazy and just keep it simple.”
The 22-year-old Stevenson, who will be a senior at MSU, prospered on the greens - she had just 28 putts. “I felt like I played really good around the greens, but I struggled with my drives today,” she said. “It was all about getting up-and-down.”
Gillum, 22, had shoulder surgery and didn't play for the Bobcats last season. She will be a fifth-year senior at MSU this fall.
“I think I played pretty well overall, but I lost shots out there, especially with my approach shots,” she said of her first round. “My short game was great, my putting was good, but my approach shots got me.”
Gillum plans to make amends today.
“I hope to go lower,” she said. “It's definitely a scoreable golf course. But, again, I left a lot out there.”
In the senior ranks, for golfers age 50 and over, Bozeman's Fay Ferraro opened with an 82 and owns a one-shot advantage over former champ Vicki Hicks of Billings.
Besides the heat and quick greens, Laurel's menacing layout also includes plenty of trees. The 58-year-old Ferraro said, for the most part, she avoided trouble.
“Other than a couple of holes, I was pretty much in the fairway most of the time and that helps,” she observed. “My iron play was pretty steady and I actually never three-putted.”
Ferraro did suffer through a big number on No. 2, scoring a triple bogey after hitting her second shot into the canal.
“That was my only bad hole, so I can't complain too much,” she said. “I got it together after that.”
Ferraro placed second to Sue Matson of Laurel at last year's Senior Am in Bozeman. Hicks won the tournament in 2003 at Yellowstone Country Club.
Laurel Wilson of Billings carded an 84 and Helena's Susan Court and Missoula's Rosalie Meltzer checked in with 85s. Matson, the defending champion, opened with an 88.
91st Montana State Women's Amateur
At Laurel Golf Club
Par 72, 5,509 yards
First-round scores
TOP 10
Rose Stepanek, Billings 74
Kelly Gillum, Bozeman 74
Tess Stevenson, Whitefish 74
Rachel Warren, Billings 76
LaRae Smith, Bozeman 77
Kathie Dugger, Billings 78
Erin King, Billings 78
Lindsey Holzwarth, Laurel 78
Jennifer Orchard, Polson 82
Julie Campbell, Bozeman 82
Shannon Drew, Laurel 82
Fay Ferraro, Bozeman 82
Amateurs
Championship flight
Rose Stepanek, Billings 74
Kelly Gillum, Bozeman 74
Tess Stevenson, Whitefish 74
Rachel Warren, Billings 76
LaRae Smith, Bozeman 77
Kathie Dugger, Billings 78
Jennifer Orchard, Polson 82
Julie Campbell, Bozeman 82
Hillary Folkvord, Bozeman 83
Lisa Forney, Billings 83
Johanna Barney, Livingston 84
Kate Steffanich, Bozeman 86
Brittani Jones, Billings 87
Elise Nelsen, Bozeman 89
Kalli Stanhope, Glendive 91
Susan Wengel, Bozeman WD
First flight
Erin King, Billings 78
Lindsey Holzwarth, Laurel 78
Lisa Forsberg, Billings 83
Sable Hamilton, Colstrip 84
Sue Peterson, Glendive 85
Lindsay Erickson, Helena 86
Marianne Crippen, Missoula 87
Toni Bickford, Billings 87
Natalie Beard, Great Falls 88
Katie Michunovich, Laurel 89
Katelyn Frank, Sidney 89
Morgan Lee, Great Falls 89
Andrea Rath, Billings 90
Janine Gotschall, Columbus 91
Jill Lowell, Columbus 94
Debbie Erwin, Great Falls 99
Third flight
Shannon Drew, Laurel 82
Katy Peterson, Glendive 83
Sydnee Crosser, Dillon 84
Missy Jones, Billings 87
Kyla Clancy, Park City 87
Carol Skarda, Billings 87
Bobbie Lacklen, Libby 91
Tiffany Young, Bozeman 92
Haylee Folkvord, Bozeman 92
Mary Spanbauer, Anaconda 92
Kelsie Crippen, Missoula 93
Jill Pike, Bozeman 94
Emily Gates, Billings 94
Ellie Stanisich, Dillon 97
Melanie Fee, Havre 98
Lana Scott, Columbus 101
Fifth flight
Janet Reiter, Billings 83
Maggie Crippen, Missoula 86
Jeri Heard, Laurel 88
Sarah LeVeaux, Laurel 89
Julie Houk, Missoula 90
Brianna DeWitt, Butte 90
Georgia Lukkes, Columbus 90
Haley Swain, Billings 90
Cheri Ellis, Red Lodge 92
Shari Barney, Bozeman 93
Pat Jette, Great Falls 95
Sandy Sward, Bozeman 97
Laurel Campbell, Bozeman 98
Erin Heaney, Anaconda 100
Tracy Harding, Great Falls 102
Julie Degner, Billings 109
Seventh flight
Sarah Mutch, Laurel 88
Marian Collar, Billings 94
Loree Dark, Frenchtown 95
Stephanie Campbell, Bozeman 99
Nancy Metzger, Laurel 100
Charlee Remitz, Bozeman 101
Bobby Bear, Bozeman 102
Jenni Fangsrud, Ronan 102
Becky Pipal, Three Forks 103
Laurie Michunovich, Laurel 104
Lore Baker, Columbus 105
Ann Marie Moran, Bozeman 105
Vicki Randall, Libby 108
Paula Roos, Billings 113
Karen Rice, Ennis 113
Becky Wimmer, Havre 114
Ninth flight
Teresa Felzer Brown, Havre 93
Margo Salsbery, Forsyth 93
Haley Kramer, Laurel 100
Lindsie May, Billings 103
Alane Harkin, Frenchtown 104
Ruth Fenn, Libby 104
Kimberly MacDonald, Billings 106
Kelly Miner, Red Lodge 106
Julie Redfern, Billings 117
Diane Haydon, Bozeman WD
Seniors
(Age 50 and over)
Championship flight
Fay Ferraro, Bozeman 82
Vicki Hicks, Billings 83
Susan Court, Helena 85
Rosalie Meltzer, Missoula 85
Susan Toder, Missoula 86
Darlene Vanderloos, Billings 87
Sue Matson, Laurel 88
Mickey Moret, Bozeman 88
Carol Brosovich, Billings 89
Gerry Jovanovich, Fort Benton 91
Michele Geer, Billings 92
Rob in Koontz, Missoula 94
Earlene Davis, Billings 94
Mary Bryson, Helena 96
Lorri Denton, Billings 97
Lisa McMullen, Bozeman WD
First flight
Laura Wilson, Billings 84
Sharon Russell, Laurel 88
Pat Pitt, Billings 93
Mikki Rydell, Great Falls 93
Rashel Jeffrey, Missoula 93
Irene Kawane, Billings 94
Mary Bell Stultz, Laurel 95
Kandi Davis, Bozeman 96
Carol Simmons, Laurel 96
Linda Nemer, Billings 97
Joy Staker, Bozeman 97
Mickey Campbell, Laurel 99
Alde Feskanin, Ennis 100
Dee Baxter, Laurel 104
Rochelle Kriewald, Butte 108
Diana Gallardo, Billings WD
Third flight
Karen Schaefer, Scobey 88
Joan Wilson, Billings 92
Sonja Bennett, Laurel 95
Sue Kearns, Helena 96
Jeanne Hutchinson, Billings 96
Shirley Shea, Butte 98
Susan King, Billings 99
Nancy Schieno, Billings 100
Marlys Sell, Billings 101
Sharon Allen, Laurel 103
Susan Coakley, Red Lodge 104
Jane Erickson, Billings 104
Janet Dean, Missoula 106
Jami McNea, Billings 106
Linda Shaffer, Butte 116
Fifth flight
Helen Ryan, Laurel 92
Linda Weidler, Laurel 94
Lorrie Rimpe, Laurel 96
Jean Mills, Billings 97
Wanda Jaeb, Helena 99
Linda Frickel, Laurel 100
Punky Zastoupil, Forsyth 101
Nancy Di Meola, Ennis 103
Mary Ann Bottman, Laurel 105
Tamara Cain, Miles City 105
Vanessa Tolson, Helena 105
Linda Capser, Laurel 105
Sandi Nave, Billings 107
Carla Berg, Sidney 109
Donna Fiveland, Laurel 111
June Larson, Billings 117
Seventh flight
Carole Sisson, Bozeman 100
Cindy Garberg, Scobey 102
Lorraine Richardson, Missoula 105
Karlene Lehfeldt, Billings 106
Bonnie Jo Bouley, Missoula 107
Claudette Hughes, Ennis 107
Joyce Olson, Livingston 108
Verna Uffelman, Billings 108
Maureen Davey, Columbus 109
Mary West, Great Falls 109
Monty Whitmore, Billings 112
Carole Herron, Helena 112
Valerie Wentz, Sidney 113
Lynda Solberg-Rodier, Sidney 120
Linda Walsh, Great Falls 122
Ninth flight
Pat Heard, Laurel 100
Fairlynn Ross, Ronan 102
Elsie Sorenson, Forsyth 105
Mona Nutting, Laurel 105
Dawn Stahl, Laurel 106
Judith Fladmo, Sidney 107
Linda Mann, Missoula 107
Linda Jacobson, Laurel 107
Christa Reisinger, Libby 107
Barb Zuldema, Great Falls 110
Mary Ann McLean, Havre 110
Elvira Wilcox, Billings 112
Linda Lindsay, Helena 113
Lynn Snyder, Helena 113
Willie Dowdle, Laurel 119
Sue Schelle, Billings 124
Eleventh flight
Deb LeVeaux, Laurel 106
Patty Fleming, Billings 112
Goldie Rae, Laurel 114
Sylvia Tryan, Flaxville 115
Thelma Willems, Helena 122
Laura Reinhardt, Ennis 122
Blanche Ward, Libby 131
Sharon Torske, Billings 151
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