Feb. 10, 2010
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch (2009-10 season)
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
THIS WEEK — The University of Iowa men’s golf team will travel to Coral Springs, FL, to compete in the second annual Big Ten Match-Play Championships. Competition, being held on Heron Bay Golf Club, is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. (ET) Friday.
HERON BAY — The beautiful Heron Bay Country Club, home to the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic for six years (1997-2002), is a par-72 layout that plays to 7,268 yards from the back tees. The course was designed by PGA Tour player and golf course architect Mark McCumber. Heron Bay is also host to the prestigious Dixie Classic Amateur and VH1 Save the Music Celebrity Golf Classic.
MATCH-PLAY GUIDELINES — Each team will consist of six golfers paired against an opponent from the opposing team for that match. The match consists of 18 holes of match play, with each individual victory worth one team point and ties worth a half-point. Three and a half points will be necessary to win the team match.
BIG TEN COMPETITION — The Hawkeyes, seeded second and ranked No. 35 by Golfstat, are set to compete in the quarterfinals Friday afternoon. They will face the winner between Ohio State and Michigan State, scheduled to compete Friday morning.
HEAD COACH Mark Hankins — Hankins is in his third year as Iowa’s head men’s golf coach after spending seven years as the head coach at Michigan State University. Under Hankins, the Black and Gold won their first tournament title (2008 Landfall Tradition) since 2004 and placed sixth in the 2009 Big Ten Championships, their best finish in eight years. Iowa then made its first NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships appearance since 1995. The Hawkeyes advanced through regional play a year ago and placed 17th in the nation at the NCAA Championships. Additionally, the Hawkeyes have improved their Golfweek ranking from 155th to now 36th with Hankins at the helm. He is a native of Mt. Pleasant, IA, and a graduate of Iowa State.
LOOKING AHEAD — The Hawkeyes will travel to Dallas, TX, March 6, to take part in the Black & Gold Alumni Match. There, the Hawkeyes will have a weekend to get valuable practice on quality courses throughout Texas and spend time with former members of the Iowa program.