Iowa Hosts Hawkeye Invitational

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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s golf team closes the regular season, hosting the 10th annual Hawkeye Invitational Saturday and Sunday at Finkbine Golf Course. Admission is free to the public.
 
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20 — 36 holes, shotgun start beginning at 9:00 a.m. (CT)
Sunday, April 21 — 18 holes, shotgun start beginning 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. 42 Iowa is joined by a field of 12 other teams that include: DePaul, Eastern Michigan, No. 30 Illinois, Indiana, No. 33 Kansas, Kansas State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oral Roberts, South Dakota State, UMKC, and Wisconsin (Golfstat Relative Rankings).
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH TYLER STITH
“The guys are really excited. We had a great couple of weeks of qualifying and competition here at home. I know they are all eager to play in front of our home fans and family. We have a strong field of teams coming this week.”
 
THE LINEUP
The lineup for the Hawkeye Invitational includes one senior (Matthew Walker), two juniors (Alex Schaake and Benton Weinberg), one sophomore (Joe Kim), and one freshman (Gonzalo Leal Montero). Senior Aaron DeNucci and sophomore Jake Rowe will compete as individuals.
 
THE COURSE
The Hawkeye Invitational will be played at Finkbine Golf Course, home of Iowa’s men’s and women’s golf teams. The par-71 course has a USGA course rating of 74.6 and a slope rating of 134, stretching over 6,884 yards.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Hawkeyes earned their fourth top-five and sixth top-10 finish at the Colleton River Collegiate, finishing fourth with a 54-hole score of 869 (+5). Junior Alex Schaake led Iowa, posting all three rounds below par and earning runner-up honors with a three-round score of 209 (-7). Sophomore Benton Weinberg and senior Matthew Walker joined Schaake with a top-20 finish. Weinberg tied for 12th with a score of 217 (+1). Walker posted a score of 218 (+2), tying for 15th.
 
HISTORICALLY AT THE HAWKEYE INVITATIONAL
This will be Iowa’s 10th time competing in this tournament. The Hawkeyes have finished in the top-five in the previous nine years, claiming the team title four times. Iowa finished second last year with a 36-hole score of 584 (+8). Schaake earned the best individual finish, second, with a two-round score of 140 (-4).
 
STAYING BELOW PAR
Iowa carded five rounds at or below par in the Colleton River Collegiate. Schaake registered three: 68 (-4), 70 (-2), and 71 (-1); Walker carded a 70 (-2) in the second round, and Weinberg fired a 69 (-3) in the second round.
 
SCHAAKE LEADING THE WAY
Schaake leads the Hawkeyes, posting 14 of his 20 rounds this season at or below par. The Omaha, Nebraska, native has registered the top individual finish for Iowa in a team-leading three tournaments, finishing runner-up at the Colleton River Collegiate, tied for second at the Golfweek Conference Challenge, and tied for seventh at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Classic. The junior carded two of his three rounds at or below par in the Puerto Rico Classic. Schaake fired all three rounds below par at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Classic and Colleton River Collegiate. He leads Iowa with five top-20 finishes, four top-10 finishes, and 14 rounds at or below par.
 
HAWKEYE DEBUT
Sophomore Joe Kim joined the Iowa men’s golf program in January after transferring from Indian Hills Community College. The Castle Hill, NSW Australia, native made his Hawkeye debut at the Colleton River Collegiate, March 4-5. The sophomore finished tied 72nd with a three-round score of 234 (+18).
 
EARNING HIS SPOT
Leal Montero leads Iowa with a stroke average of 70.47. He is tied second on the team with seven rounds at or below par and three top-20 finishes. The freshman is tied second with a low round of 67 (-5) and has one top-10 finish. The Seville, Spain, native earned his first top individual finish for the Hawkeyes, tying 15th, at the Puerto Rico Classic.
 
MATCH PLAY SUCCESS
Three Hawkeyes — Walker, Weinberg, and Schaake — have career winning records at the Big Ten Match Play Championships. Walker has a career record of 12-3-1. Weinberg’s career record is 4-3-1, while Schaake has posted a 6-5-1 record.
 
STAYING HOT IN THE WINTER
Junior Alex Schaake and senior Matthew Walker competed in the 2018 South Beach International Amateur, Dec. 19-22, at the Miami Beach Golf Club. Schaake finished eighth with a four-round score of 279 (-5). Walker posted a four-round score of 285 (+7), tying for 23rd.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Iowa will begin postseason play on April 26-28, in Philadelphia, at the Big Ten Championships.
 

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