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 Hawkeye El Tigre Invitational
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s golf team travels to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to compete in the Hawkeye-El Tigre Invitational this weekend.
THE SCHEDULE
- Friday, March 16 — First Round– 9:00 a.m. (CT) shotgun format
- Saturday, March 17 — Third Round — 10:00 a.m. (CT) tee times
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 12 teams (Golfstat Relative Rankings): Iowa, Wisconsin (29), Indiana, New Mexico State, Kennesaw State (46), Washington (14), Arizona (16), New Mexico, San Diego State (45), Idaho, Grand Canyon, and Chattanooga.
LINEUP
Ten Hawkeyes will compete this week, including freshamn Annalee Dannegger who will make her Hawkeye debut.
THE COURSE
- The El-Tigre Golf Club was designed by Robert von Hagge, Michael Smelek, and Rick Baril.
- This is a tropical style course that features 12 holes with water, five “beach” bunkers, and bermuda grass.
HISTORICALLY AT THE HAWKEYE-EL TIGRE INVITE
This will be Iowa’s second time hosting this tournament.
- Iowa hosted the inagural tournament last year, carding a 54-hole score of 910 (+46) to finish 10th.
- Sophomore Sophie Liu had the best individual finish for the Hawkeyes last year, tying for 24th with a three-round score of 223 (+7).
LAST TIME OUT
Iowa competed in the Arizona Wildcat Invitational last week, finishing 16th with a three-round score of 915 (+51).
- Senior Jessica Ip carded her fifth round at-or-below par in the first round, finishing the tournament with a 54-hole score of 224 (+8) to tie for 37th.
- Senior Morgan Kukla jumped 14 spots in the third round to tie for 68th with a 54-hole score of 232 (+16).
- Sophomore Sarah Overton made her Hawkeye debut competing as an individual. She finished with a three-round score of 236 (+20) to tie for 80th.
COMPETING WITH THE BEST
- Through six tournaments, Iowa has competed against 39 top-50 teams according to Golfstat Relative Rankings.
- Eight of those 39 opponents are ranked in the top-10, including No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 Alabama.
- Iowa has faced 20 top-25 opponents this season.
- Iowa opened the season at the Branch Law Firm Invitational, tying for seventh with No. 18 ranked Iowa State and New Mexico.
- The Hawkeyes will face five more top-50 ranked opponents this week.
ETCHING INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
- Ip opened up the spring by carding an 18-hole score of 67 (-5) at the Westbrook Spring Invitational to tie for first in program history for 18-holes. Her 36-hole score of 142 (-2) to begin the spring is tied for fifth in program history.
- The Hawkeyes carded a 36-hole score of 582 (+6) at the Westbrook Spring Invitational on Feb. 25. That mark is tied for third in program history.
- Iowa’s 54-hole score of 885 (+21) to begin the spring is the seventh lowest total in program history.
- In the fall, Iowa notched five top-15 team scores and four top-15 individual low scores in program history.
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 travels to Tempe, Arizona, to compete in the Arizona State Invitational on March 23-25.
