24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2018-19 | Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Erin Hills Intercollegiate Notes
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s golf team travels to Erin, Wisconsin, to compete in the Marquette Intercollegiate at Erin Hills, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. This will be Iowa’s first time competing in the event.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Sunday, Sept. 30 — 18 holes, tee times starting at 9:00 a.m. (CT)
Monday, Oct. 1 — 18 holes, tee times starting at 9:00 a.m. (CT)
Tuesday, Oct. 2 — 18 holes, tee times starting at 8:30 a.m. (CT)
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can follow this weekend’s action by visiting golfstat.com for live scoring. Links can be found on the men’s golf schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
LINK UP WITH THE HAWKEYES
For an inside look at the Iowa men’s golf program and to access exclusive coverage, “like” Hawkeye men’s golf on Facebook and follow @IowaHawkeyeGolf on Twitter and Instagram.
THE FIELD
No. 28 Iowa is joined by a field of ten other teams that include: No. 12 Arizona State, No. 45 Marquette, McNeese State, No. 50 Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, No. 14 Ole Miss, UC Davis, No. 46 Utah, and Wisconsin (Golfweek Rankings).
THE LINEUP
The lineup for the Marquette Intercollegiate at Erin Hills includes one senior (Matthew Walker), three juniors (Alex Moorman, Alex Schaake, and Benton Weinberg), and one freshman (Gonzalo Leal Montero).
QUOTING COACH TYLER STITH
“We are sticking to the same schedule, script that we have had the first month of the season. We are mapping out our plan for the week and going to go about it the same way as the first two tournaments.”
THE COURSE
Set up for the Intercollegiate at Erin Hills, playing as a par-72, stretching 7,800 yards, Erin Hills is located in Erin, Wisconsin. The home of the 2017 U.S. Open Championship was designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, and Ron Whitten.
LAST TIME OUT
Iowa finished the Golfweek Conference Challenge with a 36-hole score of 585 (-11) and a second place finish after the final round was cancelled due to weather. Junior Alex Schaake finished tied second with a two-round score of 139 (-5), while freshman Gonzalo Leal Montero notched his first top-10 finish — tying fifth — with a 36-hole score of 140 (-4). Senior Matthew Walker carded a 36-hole score of 142 (-2) to tie for 12th.
NUMBER OF THE WEEK — 5
Three Hawkeyes — Matthew Walker, Alex Schaake, and Gonzalo Leal Montero — have fired five-under par in three different rounds this season. Walker carded his round in the final round of the Gopher Invitational. Schaake’s came in the second round of the Golfweek Conference Challenge, while Leal Montero’s was in the first round of the Golfweek Conference Challenge.
B1G PERFORMANCE
Junior Alex Schaake earned his first career Big Ten Golfer of the Week honor for his second place finish at the Golfweek Conference Challenge on Sept. 16-17. The Omaha, Nebraska, native helped lead Iowa to a team finish of second place. He fired seven birdies in the second round to surge 21 spots on the leaderboard with a 36-hole score of 139 (-5). Schaake posted 27 pars — third most in the field — and two rounds at or below par to give him a team leading five rounds at or below par on the season.
FRESH FACE IN THE CROWD
Freshman Gonzalo Leal Montero is quickly finding his spot in the Hawkeye lineup. Leal Montero has began his career by posting two top-20 and one top-10 finish through two tournaments, including a fifth place finish at the Golfweek Conference Challenge. He has posted three of his five rounds at or below par.
SCHAAKE’S STRONG START
Schaake has opened his junior season by firing five straight rounds at or below par through two tournaments. He finished top-10 at the Gopher Invitational (T6) and the Golfweek Conference Challenge (T2) — best finish on the team. His sixth and second place finishes are his seventh top-10 finishes over the last 14 tournaments dating back to last season.
3 HAWKEYES EARN B1G PRESEASON HONORS
- Schaake competed in 13 events for the Hawkeyes last season. He finished 24th at NCAA Regionals with a three-round score of 220 (+7). The Omaha, Nebraska, native was named to the Division 1 Ping All-Midwest Regional Team and All-Big Ten Second Team as a sophomore.
- Walker competed in all 13 tournaments for the Hawkeyes as a junior. He earned the Iowa Men’s Golf Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Walker recorded four top-25 finishes and 10 rounds at or below par.
- Alex Moorman competed in seven tournaments for Iowa last season. He posted a career best finish (third) at the Hawkeye Invitational with a three-round score of 141 (-3). Moorman posted an 18-hole career low and Hawkeye best 66 in the second round of the Big Ten Championships, tying 15th.
VETERAN LEADERSHIP
The Hawkeyes are led by seniors Aaron DeNucci and Matthew Walker, along with four juniors. DeNucci competed at the Schenkel Invitational as an individual where he carded a 222 (+6) three-round score to tie for 59th. Walker finished 2017 with an 18-hole scoring average of 73.69, third best on the team. He finished with a 54-hole score of 220 (+10) at the Big Ten Championships to tie for 31st.
A PROGRAM ON THE RISE
Iowa has won 15 tournaments since 2008 and has had 15 individual medalists since 2009, including Carson Schaake, who was crowned individual co-champion at the 2015 Big Ten Championships and Raymond Knoll who won the 2015 GolfWeek Conference Challenge.
LOOKING AHEAD
Iowa will travel to South Bend, Indiana, for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Classic on Oct. 7-8.
