Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch – 2017-18 | Meet Notes (PDF)
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s golf team kicks off the 2017-18 season at the Branch Law Firm Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sept. 11-12.
THE SCHEDULE
• Monday, Sept. 11 — First and Second Rounds — 8:30 A.M. (CT)
• Tuesday, Sept. 12 — Final Round — 8:30 A.M. (CT)
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 17 teams: New Mexico, Arizona (16), Colorado (21), Denver, Iowa State (46), UNLV (49), Northwestern (8), Oklahoma State (19), Pepperdine (39), San Diego State (34), UC Berkley, UC Davis, Washington State, Stanford (1), Central Arkansas, Fresno State, Texas (18)
LINEUP
Senior Jessica Ip will be in the number one spot. She will be followed by juniors Shawn Rennegarbe and Kristin Glesne, and seniors Morgan Kukla and Elisa Suarez.
THE COURSE
• The University of New Mexico Championship Course — Par 72 — 7,248 yards.
• The course is known for its long and wide stretched out fairways, rolling and well-manicured greens, and the rough, loose desert sand, water, and sagebrush around that surround the course.
• The University of New Mexico Champions Course was designed by Robert Lawrence.
HISTORICALLY AT THE BRANCH LAW FIRM INVITE
• The Hawkeyes carded a 927 (+51) at the tournament in 2013, finishing12th.
• In 2012, the Hawkeyes finished 12th after carding a 919 (+43).
• Iowa carded a score of 915 (+39) to finish for 12th in 2011.
THREE NAMED BIG TEN PRESEASON HONOREES
Three members of the University of Iowa women’s golf team — seniors Jessica Ip and Morgan Kukla, and sophomore Sophie Liu — were named 2017-18 Big Ten Women’s Golf Preseason Honorees.
• Ip competed in all six competitions in the spring, finishing with a 74.2 stroke average — the best on the team.
• Liu competed in all six competitions, scoring a 77.0 stroke average — the second best on the team.
• Kukla appeared in seven of Iowa’s 10 tournaments last season, carding a career-best 18-hole score of 71 (-1) at the Hawkeye El-Tigre Invitational.
SUMMER STANDOUTS
The Hawkeyes kept busy over the summer, competing in championship events all over the world.
• Senior Jessica Ip tied for 10th in the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Qualifier with a score of 74 (+2).
• Incoming freshman Rachel Fujitani tied for eighth in the USGA Girls Junior Amateur Qualifier in Mesa, Arizona, on June 26th, with a score of 75 (+3).
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
The 2016-17 season was one of the best in Hawkeye history for the women’s golf team, as they went on to break countless school records.
• Five of the top-15 individual performances for 54-holes were recorded last season. Ip (Red Raider Invitational) and Liu (Westbrook Spring Invitational) each carded a 215 (-1) to tie for sixth on the list.
• Ip carded a 216 at the Westbrook Spring Invitational (E) and BYU Entrada Classic (+3) to tie for eighth, on the list of top-15 individual performances for 54-holes.
• Ip carded a 68 at the Westbrook Spring Invitational (E) and the BYU Entrada Classic (+3) to tie for third on the list of top-15 individual performances for 18 holes.
TEAM RECORDS
• The Hawkeyes recorded a top-five finish in the top-15 team performances for 18-holes, carding a 287 (+4) at the Westbrook Spring Invitational.
• Iowa broke into the top-10 of the top-15 team performances for 54-holes after it carded a 887 (+23) at the Landfall Tradition which is eighth on the list all time.
• Iowa carded a 873 (+9) at the Westbrook Spring Invitational to capture the third spot on the top-15 team performances for 54-holes.
• The Hawkeyes recorded two of the top-20 team season scoring averages. In the fall they had an average of 77.0 – – the 10th best average in program history.
• The team recorded a 76.0 team season scoring average which put them second all -time.
HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
This season, the Hawkeyes welcome three newcomers — Annalee Dannegger, Rachel Fujitani, and Stephanie Herzog– to the 2017-18 squad. Dannegger is from Wheaton, Illinois, Fujitani is from Phoenix, Arizona, and Herzog is from Red Wing, Minnesota.
ON THE HORIZON
The Iowa women’s golf team heads to Knoxville, Tennessee, to compete in the Mercedes-Benz Women’s Collegiate Championship on Sept. 18-19.
