Oct. 19, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s golf team travels to Alpharetta, Ga., for the sixth-annual U.S. Collegiate Championship Oct. 23-25. Play will include 18 holes beginning with tee times at 8 a.m. (CT) each of the three days. Competitors will play on the Golf Club of Georgia’s Lakeside Course. Fans can follow live scoring at golfstatresults.com or check out the tournament central page at theuscc.org.
THE FIELD
The U.S. Collegiate Championship will showcase 14 of the nation’s best, including seven teams ranked among the top-13 in the most recent Golf Coaches Association of America poll. Joining the Hawkeyes will be UCLA, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Southern California, Clemson, Florida State, Duke, Virginia, East Tennessee State, Wake Forest, Washington, Kent State and Auburn.
THE COURSE
Awarded “Best New Private Course in America” in 1991 by Golf Digest, the Lakeside Course is famous for its accuracy demands on approach shots and its firm, fast greens. Established in 1991, the Lakeside course offers 7,017 yards of golf from the championship tees. This par-72 begins with rolling woodlands, along creeks and below enormous pines and oaks. Lake Windward is introduced on the back nine along with some difficult approach shots. In 1999, Lakeside’s par-5, 607-yard 11th hole was named as one of America’s “Best 99 Golf Holes.”
LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Steven Ihm finished runner-up at the second annual Rod Myers Invitational in Durham, N.C., Oct. 2. The Hawkeyes finished fourth with a 54-hole total of 883 (+19) as Duke topped the 11-team field on its home course with a mark of three-under par 861. Ihm recorded the second-most pars of any competitor in the field and was just one of three athletes to finish the tournament below par.
“I’m very proud of Steven,” said Head Coach Mark Hankins on Ihm’s performance. “He was determined to post a good final round and it was almost enough to win medalist honors. He stuck to his plan all tournament long and didn’t lose patience. Three-under par on a quality golf course is a great total effort.”
QUOTING THE HAWKEYES
“I think we’re all excited for this weekend and the opportunity to prove ourselves,” said senior Chris Brant. “We’ve been working hard as a team and the competitiveness amongst ourselves is pushing everybody to get better individually. The field is tough but that doesn’t really change our preparation. Once the tournament begins, I can only control my game personally and that’s what I hope to do.”
“The U.S. Collegiate Championship is a pretty special event, but it’s important for us to treat it like any other tournament and go about or normal business in that manner,” said senior Brad George. “I need to focus on what the course has to offer and not worry so much on what everyone else is doing. To have success, I need to stay within my own game and remain focused.”
THE MASTERS OF COLLEGE GOLF
Known as “The Masters of College Golf”, the U.S. Collegiate Championship offers teams and spectators a taste of the PGA Tour. It is the only event in college golf to feature Corporate Skyboxes around Lakeside’s scenic 18th green. Additionally, each player is given a personal caddy for the 54-hole event.
HEAD COACH Mark Hankins
Hankins is in his fifth 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 last season ranked ninth among all NCAA Division I teams. Hankins’ 2010-11 squad is coming off a 10th place finish at the 2011 NCAA Championships, Iowa’s best finish since 1960. After a second place finish at the 2010 Big Ten Championships, its best finish since 1992, Iowa placed third at the 2011 Big Tens. Hankins and company will look to make their fourth-consecutive NCAA postseason appearance this season. Hankins is a native of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and a graduate of Iowa State.
“The U.S. Collegiate Championship is a great tournament for our guys and an opportunity to show off our focus and ability. The objective remains the same and that’s for each of our five guys to focus on his game only, one shot at a time. If we’re able to do that, we will be successful.”
– Head Coach Mark Hankins –