April 12, 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 is hosting the 17th annual Hawkeye – TaylorMade/adidas Invitational, April 17-18. Competition will be held on Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City. Thirty-six holes will begin with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. (CT) Saturday, followed by 18 holes beginning at 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
THE COMPETITION — The Hawkeyes will be hosting Drake, Western Illinois, Northern Illinois, Bradley, Miami (Ohio), Missouri State, Missouri-Kansas City, South Dakota State and Western Kentucky.
MEDIA DAY — Members of the media are welcome to come to Finkbine to meet Head Coach Mark Hankins and the 2010 Hawkeyes, Wednesday at 3 p.m. Hankins will be fielding questions, with player interviews to follow. Attending media are invited to play nine holes on Wednesday, sponsored by Finkbine Golf Course.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY — Iowa won the title in the inaugural invite in 1970, as well as the next seven in a string lasting through 1981. The only other champions have been Wisconsin, Kent State and Western Illinois, with each team winning twice. Iowa has won 10 Hawkeye Invitational titles and has crowned 11 individual champions.
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 38th, 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 West Lafayette, IN, for the Boilermaker Invitational April 24-25. Iowa is looking to improve on last year’s third place finish, where the Hawkeyes fired a three round total of even par 864. Vince India finished sixth individually in his freshman campaign while placing fourth last season with a score of 211 (-5).