April 19, 2011
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THIS WEEK — The University of Iowa men’s golf team will travel to Columbus, Ohio, for the 41st annual Robert Kepler Intercollegiate Tournament April 23-24. The 11-team field will compete on the Scarlet Course at The Ohio State University Golf Club. Fans can follow the action live at golfstat.com.
THE COURSE — The Ohio State’s Scarlet Course, known as the home of Jack Nicklaus, is a par 71 that plays to 7,455 yards from the championship tees. Ranked as the top college course in a 2009 poll of over 160 head coaches by GolfChannel.com, the Scarlet Course has been the site of a record 10 NCAA men’s championships and 14 women’s national championships. Along with NCAA tournaments, the Scarlet Course has proven a challenge at all levels. It hosts events from the AJGA to the professional ranks, including the Nationwide Tour’s annual stop of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational, now in its fourth year.
THE COMPETITION — The Hawkeyes, ranked 11th in the nation by Golfstat.com, will be the highest-ranked team in a field that includes Ball State, Dayton, Eastern Michigan, No. 13 Illinois, No. 37 Kent State, Miami (OH), Minnesota, No. 25 Ohio State, Wisconsin and Xavier.
LAST OUTING — Iowa captured its seventh tournament title under Head Coach Mark Hankins April 17, taking the Hawkeye-TaylorMade Invitational championship with a 36-hole total of 589 (+13). Senior Vince India, currently ranked seventh in the nation, earned medalist honors for the third time in his career, firing a two-round score of 142 (-2). All three of India’s first place finishes have come during his senior campaign. He earned medalist honors at the Conference Golfweek Challenge and Baylor Intercollegiate in the fall.
HEAD COACH Mark Hankins — Hankins is in his fourth year as Iowa’s head men’s golf coach after spending seven years as the head coach at Michigan State University. Under Hankins, the Hawkeyes finished the 2010 season with the highest national ranking in school history. Ranked 36th among all NCAA Division I teams, Iowa earned its best Big Ten finish (second) since 1992 and produced an NCAA Regional berth for the second-consecutive year. Additionally, the Hawkeyes picked up four tournament titles in five events last fall. Hankins is a native of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and a graduate of Iowa State.
NEXT TIME OUT — The Robert Kepler Intercollegiate will be Iowa’s final tune-up before it travels to West Lafayette, Ind., for the Big Ten Championships April 29-May 1.