April 13, 2013
- Day 1 Video Highlights
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone/ipad app!
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye Android app!
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa men’s golf team is in second place through two rounds of the Hawkeye-Great River Entertainment Invitational, hosted at Finkbine Golf Course. The Hawkeyes carded a 36-hole total of 584 (+8) after shaving four strokes from their morning round and improving from fourth to second place in the 12-team field.
Iowa carded a 294 (+6) in the morning round to sit in fourth. The Hawkeyes warmed up in the afternoon and jumped Nebraska and Minnesota on the leaderboard, shooting a 290 (+2). Iowa trails Kansas (576/E) by eight strokes entering Sunday’s final round.
Junior Steven Ihm posted a pair of two-under rounds and sits in third place at four-under par (140) for the tournament. The Hawkeyes have five players in the top-31 of the leaderboard. Minnesota’s Alex Gaugert and Kansas’ Stan Gautier lead the field at five-under (139).
“The guys became comfortable as the day went along and we fought back with a solid second round,” said UI head coach Mark Hankins. “We didn’t play great today but we fought off some nerves, stayed patient and posted a good second round.”
Ihm had the tournament’s second-best morning round. The Peosta, Iowa, native played the front-nine at one-over with two birdies and three bogeys. He made three straight birdies from holes 13 through 15, and played the final six-holes at three-under to card a 70. He was one of only nine players in the field to birdie holes No. 13 and 14.
Ihm played the first 13 holes of his second round at one-over par before closing with four birdies and three pars to climb the leaderboard.
“I went pin-seeking today,” said Ihm, a second-team All-Big Ten selection last season. “Both rounds got off to a slow start, but I was really feeling it after that. It’s a course I feel comfortable with, and I was really comfortable with the greens and the pins today.”
Ihm leads the field in birdies with a dozen. He has played three of his last four rounds under par, and has played a team-best 10 rounds at or below par this season. He improved his strove average to 72.25.
“That was a great morning round from Steven in tough conditions,” said Hankins. “He hung in there all day and continued to made some birdies down the stretch.”
Sophomore Ian Vandersee tallied a 36-hole total of 147 (+3) and is tied for 13th place. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native shot an even-par, 72, in the morning round – his sixth round at or below par this season. Vandersee made three birdies on the opening round. He shot a three-over, 75, in the afternoon after making birdies on holes No. 2, 7, 16, and 18. He had seven birdies on the day.
“I was very pleased with my morning round,” said Vandersee. “I hit it pretty poorly, but I got almost everything I could out of that round. I hit it a little better in the afternoon despite giving up some strokes, but I felt like I left myself in a good position.”
Sophomore Brian Bullington shot two solids rounds to finish the day at five-over (149) and in 22nd place. Bullington made four birdies in his opening round, shooting a pair of one-over 37’s on each nine to card a 74 (+2). Bullington eagled the par-five sixth hole in his second round – one of eight players in the field to do so. The Frankfurt, Ill., native closed with a three-over par, 75.
Freshman Nate Yankovich shaved five strokes off his first round in the afternoon, improving from 43rd to 31st place. The Blacklick, Ohio, native shot a two-round total of 151 (+7). He played his first seven holes of the day at one-under before giving up seven shots in the final 11 holes to shoot a 78 (+6). Yankovich made six birdies on his afternoon round, with back-to-back birdies on holes 9 and 10. He was one of five players to birdie No. 9 and six players to birdie No. 10 on the day. Yankovich closed with a one-over par, 73.
Sophomore Joseph Winslow also made a massive improvement in the afternoon, shaving 10 strokes from his first round to card a two-round total of 154 (+10). Winslow played 15 holes at even par on the front nine, but had three big numbers on the scorecard to card an 82 (+10). Winslow had no such issues in his second round with three birdies, bogeys and pars to shoot an even-par, 72.
“I made a few mistakes in the morning and had a few big numbers,” said Winslow, who was an honorable mention All-American last season as a freshman. “I was much better in the second round. I got into a rhythm and got my confidence back. I feel good about my game heading into Sunday.”
Junior Ryan Marks and freshmen Landon Kowalski and Voramate Aussarassakorn competed individually for the Hawkeyes.
Marks is tied for 17th place after carding a two-round total of 148 (+4). Marks shot a two-over par, 74, in the morning with a birdie on hole 2 and an eagle on hole 6. He made four birdies in the second round to close with another 74 (+2).
Kowalski is tied for 56th place, carding a 36-hole total of 157 (+13). Kowalski made 22 pars with one birdie on the day.
Aussarassakorn is tied for 60th place with a two-round total of 159 (+15). He had five birdies on the day.
“Our guys each have individual goals, and I know some of them won’t be pleased with how they played today,” said Hankins. “You can’t control team score so each of them have to concern themselves with what they can control, stay positive and stay in the present. We will bring our game face tomorrow and do our individual bests to learn from today and post some low scores.”
The final round will begin Sunday at 9 a.m. (CT) with a shotgun start. Live results can be found at http://golfstat.com/.