Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2017-18 – /sports/2017/7/19/24-hawkeyes-to-watch-2016-17.aspx | NOTES Wildcat Invitational
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s golf team travels to Tucson, Arizona, to compete in the Arizona Wildcat Invitational on Monday and Tuesday.
THE SCHEDULE
Monday, March 5 — First Round– 8:30 a.m. (CT)
Tuesday, March 6 — Third Round — 9:00 a.m. (CT)
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 field includes 17 teams (Golfstat Relative Rankings): Arizona (22), Augusta State, Denver (41), Grand Canyon, Iowa, Kansas State, Long Beach State, Missouri, Northern Arizona, North Carolina State (26), New Mexico State, New Mexico, Portland State, Purdue (25), Texas (7), UCLA (1), and UNLV (40).
LINEUP
Seniors Jessica Ip and Morgan Kukla, junior Shawn Rennegarbe, and freshman Rachel Fujitani and Stephanie Herzog compete this week. Sophomore Sarah Overton will be making her Hawkeye debut this week. The lineup will be finalized on Saturday.
THE COURSE
The Sewailo Golf Club is one of the most premier golf experiences in Arizona.
Notah Begay III designed the course to include the natural landscape of the land which includes rolling natural desert terrain, arroyos and streams with elevation changes, natural hazards, and smooth undulating greens.
HISTORICALLY AT THE ARIZONA WILDCAT INVITE
This will be Iowa’s first time competing in this tournament.
Iowa last competed in Tucson during the 2012-13 season, they finished the Mountain View Collegiate in eighth with a 54-hole score of 889 (+25).
LAST TIME OUT
Iowa opened spring season at the Westbrook Spring Invitational, carding a 54-hole score of 885 (+21) to finish 15th.
The Hawkeyes carded a 36-hole score of 582 (+6), the third best score in program history.
Senior Jessica Ip shot her way in to the record book, carding an 18-hole score of 67 (-5), ties for first in program and history, and her 36-hole score of 142 (-2) is tied for fifth in program history. She finished tied 42nd with a 54-hole score of 218 (+2).
Freshman Rachel Fujitani made her Hawkeye debut, competing as an individul, posting a three-round score of 224 to finish tied for 68th.
COMPETING WITH THE BEST
Through five tournaments, Iowa has competed against 32 top-50 teams according to Golfstat Relative Rankings.
Six of those 29 opponents are ranked in the top-10, including No. 1 Stanford and No. 2 Alabama.
Iowa has faced 16 top-25 opponents this season.
Iowa opened the season at the Branch Law Firm Invitational, finishing tying for 7th with No. 18 ranked Iowa State and New Mexico.
The Hawkeyes will face seven more top-50 ranked opponents this week — including No. 1 UCLA.
ETCHING INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
Ip opened up the spring by carding an 18-hole score of 67 (-5) to tie for first in program history for 18-holes. Her 36-hole score of 142 (-2) to begin the spring is tied fifth in program history.
The Hawkeyes carded a 36-hole score of 582 (+6) at the Westbrook Spring Invitational last week, that is tied third in program history.
Iowa’s 54-hole score of 885 (+21) to begin the spring is seventh in program history.
In the fall, Iowa notched six team records and seven individual records.
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 last spring, finishing with a 74.2 stroke average — the best on the team.
Liu competed in all six competitions last season, 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.
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
Iowa travel to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to compete in the Hawkeye-El Tigre Invitational on March 16-17.
