Sept. 29, 2015
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The University of Iowa women’s golf team tied for third in the 18-team field at the eighth annual Johnie Imes Invitational on Tuesday afternoon. The Hawkeyes — ranked 38th by Golfweek (Sept. 28)– posted a 293 on the final 18 holes at The Club at Old Hawthorn Golf Course to finish with a 54-hole team score of 864 (E; 282, 289, 293).
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Iowa’s even par 864 team score breaks the 54-hole program record of 879 — previously set at the Westbrook Spring Invitational in 2012– by 15 strokes.
“It was a very fun week,” said UI head coach Megan Menzel. “To be able to beat our 54-hole record by 15 shots is something that we are very proud of and something that we can build on. We did not feel like we played our best golf today. But we still had two players under par and Jessica was even. So we are playing very good golf right now.”
Mizzou won the team race (-39; 825), followed by Middle Tennessee (-14; 850).
Senior Amy Ihm led the way for the Hawkeyes throughout the two-day tournament. After recording a career best 68 and a 70 in the first and second rounds, the Peosta, Iowa, native carded a 75 on the final 18 holes. Ihm finished with a total of 213 (-3) to tie for eighth.
“Today was a fun round,” said Ihm. “The whole time we were feeding off momentum from our last tournament. It was a very score-able course, so we tried to have a positive outlook and make a lot of birdies.”
Sophomore Elisa Suarez tied for eighth with Ihm after firing a 72 in the final round for a three-under-par total of 213. Suarez made par on 12 holes and recorded birdies on holes six, 15 and 17 in her final round.
“I was very comfortable and confident with my game,” said Suarez. “My goal was to just make a lot of birdies. The third round was definitely the most complicated and I didn’t give myself enough birdie opportunities. But it was a great tournament overall.”
Sophomore Jessica Ip — ranked 15th individually by Golfweek (Sept. 28)– posted first and second round totals of 70 and 74, before finishing with an even par 72. The sophomore registered par on 12 holes, while also managing birdies on holes eight, nine and 16. Ip finished with a total of 216 (E) to tie for 15th.
Rounding out the Hawkeye squad were junior Jessie Sindlinger and senior Briana Midkiff. Sindlinger registered a 74 (+2) in the third round, tying for 48th with a three round total 223 (+7), while Midkiff carded a third-round 86 (+14), bringing her three-round total to 242 (+26).
“This is only the beginning,” said Ihm. “We have a lot to look forward to and we are just going to keep going and push off this momentum.”
Next up, the Hawkeyes travel to Las Cruces, N.M., for the New Mexico State Aggie Invitational on Oct. 5-7.
