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PALM COAST, Fla. — The University of Iowa men’s golf team concluded the 2017 Big Ten Match Play Championship Saturday afternoon at Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Florida. The Hawkeyes finished fourth in the 11-team field.
Iowa met Penn State during the semifinals in round three. After finishing the round tied at 3-3, the Nittany Lions won via a tiebreaker, determined by which team won the most holes overall.
“I thought we played well today against a good Penn State team,” said UI assistant coach Jeff Schmid. “It came down to us missing a few short putts down the stretch, including a three-footer on the very last hole that would have clinched the match.”
Freshman Alex Schaake, sophomore Matthew Walker, and senior Raymond Knoll all won their matches against Penn State. Schaake and Walker both finished two up with one to play, while Knoll won three up with two holes left.
Penn State’s Charles Huntzinger defeated freshman Alex Moorman 5-and-4, while freshman Ryoto Furuya fell 3-and-2 to Alec Bard. After a close battle, Ryan Dornes came out with a 1-up victory over senior Carson Schaake.
“Against Minnesota we fell short on the greens as well,” added Schmid. “They putted well and made numerous long putts and some key par saves. The bottom line is we just didn’t make as many putts as they did.”
Walker and Knoll posted wins in the final round against Minnesota. Walker defeated Matt Rachey, 2-up, while Knoll won 1-up against Riley Johnson.
Junior Sam Meuret tied Jose Mendez, finishing all square after several lead changes throughout the match. Minnesota’s Justin Doeden defeated Alex Schaake, 4-and-3. Carson Schaake fell in the final round to Runar Arnorsson, 2-and-1. Peter Jones found a 1-up victory over Ryoto Furuya landing Minnesota with the third-place finish.
“I thought it was a great tournament overall,” said Schmid. “It showed us some things that we need to work on before the bulk of our schedule starts at the end of spring break. The pressure we were under during every match gave us an invaluable experience as well.”
The Hawkeyes return to action in Okatie, South Carolina for the Chechessee Creek Club Dual on March 12.
BTN will broadcast the 2017 Big Ten Match Play Championship on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 10:30 a.m. (CT).
Semifinals: Iowa 3, Penn State 3 — Penn State won via tiebreaker
1) Charles Huntzinger (Penn State) def. Alex Moorman (Iowa), 5-and-4
2) Alex Schaake (Iowa) def. Cole Miller (Penn State), 2-and-1
3) Alec Bard (Penn State) def. Ryoto Furuya (Iowa), 3-and-2
4) Matthew Walker (Iowa) def. JD Hughes (Penn State), 2-and-1
5) Ryan Dornes (Penn State) def. Carson Schaake (Iowa), 1-up
6) Raymond Knoll (Iowa) def. Christian Elliot (Penn State), 3-and-2
3rd Place Match: Iowa 2, Minnesota 3
1) Justin Doeden (Minn) def. Alex Schaake (Iowa), 4-and-3
2) Runar Arnorsson (Minn) def. Carson Schaake (Iowa), 2-and-1
3) Peter Jones (Minn) def. Ryoto Furuya (Iowa), 1-up
4) Matthew Walker (Iowa) def. Matt Rachey (Minn), 2-up
5) Sam Meuret (Iowa) drew Jose Mendez (Minn), AS
6) Raymond Knoll (Iowa) def. Riley Johnson (Minn), 1-up
