Iowa Set for B1G Championships

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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s golf team travels to the Big Ten Championships in Cincinnati, Ohio at the TPC River’s Bend on April 21-23.

34529THE SCHEDULE/FORMAT
• Friday, April 21 — 18-holes, 7:30 a.m. (CT) shotgun start
• Saturday, April 22 — 18-holes, 7:30 a.m. (CT) shotgun start
• Sunday, April 23 — 18-holes, 7:00 a.m. (CT) shotgun start

FOLLOW ALONG
Live scoring will be available throughout the tournament on GolfStat.com. Links can be found on the Iowa women’s golf schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.

THE COMPETITION
The Hawkeyes will compete in a field of 14 teams: No. 13 Northwestern, No. 24 Purdue, No. 29 Illinois, No. 31 Ohio State, No. 33 Michigan, No. 52 Wisconsin, No. 61 Maryland, No. 64 Michigan State, No. 77 Penn State, No. 84 Iowa, No. 86 Minnesota, No. 100 Indiana, No. 118 Nebraska, and No. 137 Rutgers.

LINEUP
Junior Jessica Ip will be in the number one spot, and freshman Sophie Liu will follow at number two. Senior Jessie Sindlinger, junior Morgan Kukla, and sophomore Shawn Rennegarbe, and junior Elisa Suarez round out the Hawkeye lineup. 

THE COURSE
• The TPC River’s Bend Golf Club — Par 72 — 6,226 yards.

• The course has been named by Golf Digest among the “Top 10 Best New Private Clubs in the United States”. It has also been recognized as one of Ohio’s Best Courses eight times since its opening in 2001.

• TPC River’s Bend is one of over 300 courses worldwide designed by architect and golfing legend Arnold Palmer.

HISTORICALLY AT THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Last year, Iowa finished 9th in the 14-team field. The Hawkeyes carded their best 
championship result with a three-round 876 (+12), including rounds of 292, 295, and 289.

• In 2015, Iowa finished 10th with a three-round 910 (+46), firing rounds of 305, 303, and 302.

• In 2014, the Hawkeyes finished ninth in the 12-team field after posting a three-round total of 926 938 (+62).

• The Hawkeyes recorded their best finish at the Big Ten Championships in 1991 after posting a 74-hole total of 1,238 to capture the team title.

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 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 has posted three career bests this season. She recorded her lowest 36-hole score of 150 at the Red Raider Invitational on Sep. 13. The junior registeredher lowest  54-hole score of 224 at the Landfall Tradition on Oct. 30. She fired her career low on 18-holes of 71 at the Hawkeye-El Tigre Invitational on April 3.

• The Hawkeyes recorded top-15 team performances for 18-holes and 54-holes at the Westbrook Spring Invitational on Feb. 27. A round of 287 tied the third-best team record in Iowa history, while their final 54-hole team score of 837 tied the fourth-best record in Iowa history.

• Freshman Sophie Liu tied the sixth-best 54-hole score in Iowa history with a score of 215 at the Westbrook Spring Inviational on Feb, 27, while junior Jessica Ip and senior Jessie Sindlinger tied the seventh-best 54-hole score in Iowa history with a 216.

 HAWKEYES IN THE TOP 15
• The Hawkeyes have had a total of five individual top-15 finishes in eight 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. Ip also recorded the best finish for Iowa at the BYU Entrada Classic. She carded a three-round total of 219 (+3) to tie for fifth overall. 

• Freshman Sophie Liu finished 12th at the Greenville Regional Preview on Oct. 18 with a three-round total of 228 (+12). The freshman also finished 10th at the Westbrook Spring Invitational on Feb. 27 with a 54-hole score of 215 (-1).

• Senior Jessie Sindlinger registered her first top-15 finish of the year at the BYU Entrada Classic. Sindlinger finished 11th with a 54-hole total of 221 (+5). 

LAST TIME OUT
Iowa finished 10th out of 14 teams as they hosted the inagurated Hawkeye-El Tigre Invitational on April 4. The Hawkeyes registered with a three-round total of 910 (+46).

• Freshman Sophie Liu led the Hawkeyes, tying for 24th with a 54-hole score of 223 (+7). She posted rounds of 79,  73, and 71 and posted 40 holes at-or-below par over the course of the tournament, including 12 birdies.

• Junior Morgan Kukla had the second best finish for Iowa, tying for 27th as an individual, firing rounds of 80, 71, and 74, for a total of 225 (+9). Her second round of 71 marked a career low.

• Junior Jessica Ip tied for 31st, finishing one stroke behind her teammate with a 54-hole score of 226 (+10; 75, 75, 76). She carded 30 holes at par and added nine birdies throughout the three rounds.

• Senior Jessie Sindlinger finished the tournament in 35th, one stroke behind Ip with a three-round score of 227 (+11; 81, 75, 71). The senior fired 40 holes at-or-below par with six birdies and one eagle. 

• Sophomore Kristin Glesne carded rounds of 82, 74, and 78, for a total of 234 (+18). She finished the tournament tied for 52nd. 

• Sophomore Shawn Rennegarbe competed as an individual and posted a 54-hole score of 236 (+20), firing rounds of 80, 75, and 81 to tie for 59th. Junior Elisa Suarez rounded out the Hawkeye lineup in 70th with a score of 240 (+24; 85, 76, 79).

ON THE HORIZON
The Hawkeyes will find out if they have done enough to qualify for NCAA Regional competition on Thursday, April 27. The selection show begins at 10 a.m. (CT) on Golf Channel.

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