April 28, 2013
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FRENCH LICK, Ind. — Battling tooth and nail with Indiana down the stretch, the University of Iowa men’s golf team claimed sole possession of a third place team finish at the 2013 Big Ten Championships. The Hawkeyes carded a final-round 296 (+8) to finish with a four-hole total of 1,186 (+34) on the Pete Dye Course in French Lick, Ind.
Iowa entered the day tied for third with Indiana, and the two teams took the competition for bronze down to the wire. Iowa played the final hole of the tournament — the par-five, 18th — two-under par out of its four counting scores to edge out the Hoosiers. The Black and Gold secured their third consecutive top-three finish of the season. Sunday was the tournament’s highest scoring round (76.48), but the Hawkeyes were able to persevere with their second lowest round of the week. Iowa tallied rounds of 289, 300, 301 and 296.
Sophomore Joseph Winslow tied for fifth in the 60-man field and was named to the Big Ten All-Championship team. The Overland Park, Kan., native tied for fifth with a 72-hole score of 292 (+4). The Hawkeyes had three student-athletes finish in the top-22 of the 60-man field.
“We came in mentally prepared and stuck to our game plan all week. We didn’t do anything spectacular, but we had five guys play solid golf, didn’t press and finished strong to beat some good teams.” said UI coach Mark Hankins. “Over a three day tournament you have to adapt and continue to learn, we did that and shot a nice final 18 but couldn’t make up enough ground.”
Winslow led the Hawkeyes this week with rounds of 72, 74, 72 and 74 to tie for fifth with Purdue’s Adam Schenk. Winslow shot a 38 (+2) on the front nine and went even par on the back nine with consecutive birdies on holes 13 and 14. He finished the round with three birdies and 10 pars. Winslow had three birdies in every round this week.
“He showed a lot of mental fortitude and was ready to play from the first tee until the last putt,” said Hankins. “I’m proud of his focus and effort to find his zone each round resulting in his second straight top-five finish. His ball striking has been more consistent and he has zoned in on his short game, and that has paid dividends for him.”
Just as he did last season as a true freshman, Winslow is gaining momentum when it matters mast. He tied for fourth last week at the Boilermaker Invitational before claiming his top-five finish this weekend in French Lick. Winslow has played 11 rounds at or below par this season, and has a 73.48 stroke average.
“It’s a good result, and it shows the progress I’ve been making after each tournament,” said Winslow. “I took what I learned last week at Purdue and applied it to this week, and I’ll look to do that for our next tournament.”
Junior Steven Ihm tied for 13th with a four-round mark of 297 (+9) after a two-over, 74, final round. He played each side of the course at one-over (37), and birdied holes No. 5, 13 and 18. His opening round 71 (-1) on Friday marked his seventh straight under-par round. Ihm has a team-low 72.28 stroke average this season and has placed in the top-16 of every tournament this spring.
Sophomore Brian Bullington tied for 22nd with consistent rounds of 74, 75, 77 and 75 to finish with a 72-hole score of 301 (+13). The Frankfort, Ill., native made three birdies in Sunday’s round, including a clutch birdie on the 18th, and made 10 pars. Bullington has earned three-consecutive top-24 finishes.
Sophomore Ian Vandersee tied for 33rd with a four-round score of 305 (+17). The West Des Moines, Iowa, native shot a five-over, 77, in the final round. He got off to a solid start today with an even-par front nine, but made five bogeys in the closing nine.
Freshman Nate Yankovich carded Iowa’s lowest final-round score with a one-over par, 73. The freshman improved from 52nd to 37th place with a four-round score of 307 (+19). The Blacklick, Ohio, native was steady in his final round, making two birdies and 13 pars.
With three consecutive top-three finishes to close the fall season, Iowa appears to be in position to earn its fifth consecutive NCAA Regionals selections. The NCAA Regionals are May 16-18, while the selections will be announced Monday, May 6th at 8 p.m. CST on www.ncaa.com
2013 Big Ten Championships
Team Leaderboard
1. Illinois, 291-294, 285, 293 — 1163 (+11)
2. Minnesota, 285-302–290-295 — 1172 (+20)
3. Iowa, 289-300-301-296 — 1186 (+34)
T4. Indiana, 299-291-300-300 — 1190 (+38)
T4. Ohio State, 306-292-296-296 — 1190 (+38)
6. Northwestern, 296-305-296-303 — 1200 (+48)
7. Purdue, 304-294-302-303 — 1203 (+51)
8. Michigan State, 297-304-298-308 — 1207 (+55)
9. Nebraska, 311-297-301-305 — 1214 (+62)
10. Michigan, 301-306-312-304 — 1223 (+71)
11. Penn State, 317-297-301-309 — 1224 (+72)
12. Wisconsin, 304-308-304-316 — 1232 (+80)
All-Championship Team
Brian Campbell, ILL
Thomas Pieters, ILL
Joseph Winslow, IOWA
Erik Van Rooyen, MINN
Boo Timko, OSU
Adam Schenk, PUR