Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — Feb. 2017 | Notes – Westbrook Spring Invitational
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s golf team travels to Peoria, Arizona, to compete at the Westbrook Spring Invitational from Feb. 26-27 at the Westbrook Village Golf Club.
The 54-hole tournament — hosted by Wisconsin — begins with a 9:30 a.m. (CT) shotgun start Sunday (36 holes) and concludes with an 9:30 a.m. shotgun start Monday (18 holes).
FOLLOW ALONG
Live scoring will be available throughout the tournament on BirdieFire.com. Links can be found on the Iowa women’s golf schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
THE COMPETITION
The field includes 13 teams: Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon State, UC Davis, and Washington State.
LINEUP
At the top of the line-up in the number one spot will be junior Jessica Ip, followed by senior Jessie Sindlinger. Freshman Sophie Liu and sophomore Shawn Rennegarbe will fill the third and fourth spots. Sophomore Kristin Glesne and junior Elisa Suarez round out the Hawkeye lineup. One will fill the fifth position and one will compete as an individual.
THE COURSE
• Westbrook Golf Club Vistas Course has a 6,269-yard, par-72 layout.
• The Vistas Course opened in 1990 and was built by designed by Ken Cavannaugh.
• The course features a desert/links layout, with more spacious fairways, larger greens, and fewer trees.
HISTORICALLY AT THE WESTBROOK INVITE
• Last year, Iowa finished ninth in the 15 team field. The Hawkeyes carded a three-round total of 871 (+7; 293, 292, 285) to record the second lowest 54-hole record in Iowa history.
• Jessie Sindlinger carded a career-best 216 (E) with rounds of 72, 73, and 71 to finish 18th.
• In 2015, Sindlinger carded a career-low 68 (-4) in the third round. Her third-round effort put her name in the Iowa record books, tying Kristi Cardwell and Tyrette Metzendorf for the second-lowest 18-hole score all-time. Sindlinger finished the tournament tied for 33rd with a three round total of 221 (+4; 78, 75, 68).
• In 2014, the Hawkeyes established a then-54-hole school record with their 877 (+13) team total. Iowa finished 11th in the 14 team field.
• In 2012, Iowa set a then-school record score for 54-holes, finishing the event with an 879 (+15; 290, 294, 295), breaking the previous mark of 888 set at the Challenge at Onion Creek on Nov. 2-3, 2009. Iowa finished the invitational tied for fifth out of 12 teams.
QUICK STRIKES
• Junior Jessica Ip recorded the sixth-best individual performance for 54-holes with a total of 215 at the Red Raider Invitational on Sep. 13.
• Sophie Liu registered the seventh-best individual season scoring average in Iowa history with a stroke average of 74.8 this fall, while Ip took the 10th-best place with an average of 75.5.
• As a team, the Hawkeyes recorded the ninth-best season scoring average in Iowa history with a stroke average of 77.0 this past fall.
• The team registered top-15 team performances for 36-holes and 54-holes in Hawkeye history at the Landfall Tradition on Oct. 30. They recorded the eighth-best 36-hole score with a 590 and the seventh-lowest 54-hole score with a total of 887.
• Junior Morgan Kukla posted three career bests during the fall season. She recorded her lowest 36-hole score of 150 at the Red Raider Invitational on Sep. 13. The junior registered her lowest 18-hole (72) and 54-hole (224) scores at the Landfall Tradition on Oct. 30.
HAWKEYES IN THE TOP 20
• The Hawkeyes have had a total of two individual top-20 finishes in four tournaments this season.
• Junior Jessica Ip took second overall at the Red Raider Invitational on Sep. 13 with a one-below-par 215 on 54 holes.
• Freshman Sophie Liu finished 12th at the Greenville Regional Preview on Oct. 18 with a three-round total of 228 (+12).
LAST TIME OUT
The Hawkeyes competed at the Central District Challenge in Port St. Lucie, Florida, on Feb. 20-21. The team tied for 12th with a three-round total 943 (+79; 305, 327, 311)
• Senior Jessie Sindlinger and junior Jessica Ip led the way for the Hawkeyes, tying for 40th with a three-round 234 (+18). Sindlinger posted rounds of 73, 82, and 79, while Ip registered rounds of 76, 81, and 77.
• Freshman Sophie Liu followed two strokes behind her teammates with a 236 (+20) total to finish tied for 47th, while sophomore Shawn Rennegarbe finished in 56th with a score of 239 (+23).
• Junior Morgan Kukla rounded out the Hawkeyes with a three-round 252 (+36) to finish 74th, while junior Elisa Suarez competed as an individual, finishing 69th with a total of 244 (+28).
THREE NAMED TO B1G TEN PRESEASON HONOREES
Three members of the University of Iowa women’s golf team — senior Jessie Sindlinger, junior Jessica Ip, and freshman Sophie Liu — were named 2016-17 Big Ten Women’s Golf Preseason Honorees.
• Jessie Sindlinger competed in all six competitions in the spring, averaging a 73.7 strokes per-round — the best on the team.
• Jessica Ip competed in all six competitions, scoring a 74.4 stroke average — the second-best on the team. Ip earned the first medalist honor of her career, winning the Diane Thomason invite with a four-under-par 212 on Sept. 13.
• Sophie Liu is beginning her collegiate career this fall. The Vancouver, British Columbia, native was one of just six freshmen named to the watch list.
HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
This season, the Hawkeyes welcome three newcomers — Shawn Rennegarbe, Sarah Overton, and Sophie Liu — to the 2016-17 squad. Rennegarbe is a sophomore transfer from Arkansas with three years of eligibility remaining. Liu and Overton are incoming freshman this year.
ON THE HORIZON:
The Iowa women’s golf team travels to St. George, Utah to compete in the Entrada Classic on March 13-14.
