April 27, 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 Maple Plains, MN, for the 2010 Big Ten Championships from April 30 to May 2. Minnesota will host the four rounds of competition, which begin with 36 holes on Friday at 8 a.m. The third round will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, with the final 18 beginning Sunday at 8 a.m.
THE COURSE — The Big Ten field will be challenged by the 18-hole “Windsong Farms” course at the Windsong Farms Golf Club. Windsong features 7,380 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par 71. Designed by John Fought, ASGCA/Tom Lehman, the Windsong Farms golf course opened in 2003 and offers a natural beauty that can only be found in the Midwest.
BIG TEN COMPETITION — The Hawkeyes finished sixth at the 2009 Big Ten Championships, their best finish in eight years. Chris Brant, then a freshman, led the charge with a 294 (+10) as he tied for 15th place. Additionally, Iowa competed in the second annual Big Ten Match-play Championships this spring, recording two wins and one loss on its way to a third place finish.
LAST TIME OUT — The Black and Gold concluded their regular spring season with a seventh place finish at the Boilermaker Invitational April 24-25. Despite difficult and rainy conditions throughout, sophomore Chris Brant and junior Brad Hopfinger finished in the top 25. Hopfinger led the Hawkeyes with 54-hole total of 220 (+4), as he tied for 11th.
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.
2010 NCAA REGIONALS — NCAA Regional selections will take place Monday, May 3 after all conference championships have been completed. Conference champions receive an automatic berth into regionals, with the remaining field of teams being selected nationally at-large. Regional competitions will be contested at six different sites May 20-22.