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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s golf team competes in its last fall event of the season, Monday-Tuesday, in Dallas, Texas, at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate. The Hawkeyes are looking for their third straight top-four finish.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Monday (Rounds 1 & 2) — 36 holes; 8:15 a.m. (CT) shotgun start, followed by continuous play
Tuesday (Final round) — 18 holes; 8:30 a.m. staggered shotgun start
*The tournament will be played under the “Maxwell” format, with all five players from each team paired together.
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 access to exclusive coverage, “like” Hawkeye men’s golf on Facebook and follow @IowaHawkeyeGolf on Twitter and Instagram.
THE LINEUP
Senior Alex Schaake will anchor Iowa’s lineup in the No. 1 spot, followed by sophomore Gonzalo Leal Montero, freshman Mac McClear, senior Benton Weinberg, and junior Joe Kim.
THE FIELD
The 12-team field features three teams from the top-40 (Golfstat rankings): No. 11 Baylor, No. 40 Charlotte, Iowa, Kansas State, Kent State, Liberty, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Texas, No. 6 SMU, and UTSA.
THE COURSE
The tournament will be played at the par-71, 7,068-yard Royal Oaks Country Club. Carved out of thick forest in 1969, the course is one of the best traditional layouts in the Southwest.
HISTORICALLY AT THE ROYAL OAKS INTERCOLLEGIATE
- The Hawkeyes finished eighth in last year’s Royal Oaks Intercollegiate. All seven schools who finished ahead of Iowa were nationally ranked. Last year’s tournament was played at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas, due to torrential rain and flooding.
- Benton Weinberg (T-10; +5) and Alex Schaake (T-12; +6) were Iowa’s top finishers last year.
- Played at the Royal Oaks Country Club, the Hawkeyes claimed a seventh-place finish in 2017. Senior Benton Weinberg tied for 17th with a then career-best one-under-par (212). Senior Alex Schaake also competed two years ago, placing 38th at four-over-par (216).
- This will be the 10th year the Hawkeyes have competed in the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate. Iowa claimed the team title in 2010.
LAST TIME OUT
- Iowa placed third at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Classic after being in 11th place after round one.
- Led by freshman Mac McClear’s second-round 67 and sophomore Gonzalo Leal Montero’s final-round 66, the Hawkeyes were a combined eight-under-par in the last two rounds to post a 54-hole total of three-over-par (855). Iowa finished ahead of fourth-place and No. 3 Arizona State by eight strokes, and ahead of Iowa State and three Big Ten teams (Rutgers, Michigan, Michigan State). Host No. 17 Notre Dame and No. 10 North Carolina placed first and second, respectively.
- Senior Alex Schaake was Iowa’s top-finisher for the third straight tournament, tying for 13th with a season-best three-round total of 212 (-1). McClear and Leal Montero tied for 23rd at one-over-par (214), while senior Benton Weinberg tied for 37th at six-over-par (219).
ENTERING THE RECORD BOOKS
In his Hawkeye debut, freshman Mac McClear led Iowa’s comeback with a personal-best 66 (-4) that featured six birdies. The 67 tied for the sixth-lowest 18-hole score in program history.
Sophomore Gonzalo Leal Montero one-upped McClear in the final round with a career-best 66 (-5), which tied for the fifth-lowest 18-hole score in Hawkeye history.
HAWKEYE TEE SHOTS
- Schaake (212), Leal Montero (214), and McClear (214) all posted 54-hole season-bests at the Fighting Irish Classic.
- With three straight rounds at or below par, Schaake boosted his season total to a team-best six rounds at or below par. Weinberg has five rounds at or below par and Leal Montero has three.
- McClear leads the Hawkeyes with 71.3 strokes per round after competing in his first career tournament. Schaake owns a 71.4 18-hole stroke average.
- Schaake has finished 19th or better in all three tournaments, while also being Iowa’s top finisher in each event.
SCHAAKE’S HOT SUMMER
- Senior Alex Schaake entered his name into the Nebraska Amateur record books this summer, winning his fourth consecutive 72-hole Nebraska Amateur Championship at eight-under-par (280). The Omaha, Nebraska, native won a seven-hole playoff after starting the final round five strokes behind the leader. Schaake became the second individual in 111 years to win the tournament four straight years.
- At the 86th Iowa Open, Schaake registered a 10-under-par 206 in the 54-hole tournament to be the low amateur.
HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
Three freshman — Matthew Garside (Bettendorf, Iowa), Mac McClear (Hinsdale, Ill.), and Garrett Tighe (Algonquin, Ill.) — joined the Hawkeyes this season.
A PROGRAM ON THE RISE
Iowa has four team titles and four individual medalists since Coach Tyler Stith’s first year in 2014. Last season, Iowa claimed the Hawkeye Invitational with co-medalists Alex Schaake and Matthew Walker. The Hawkeyes have qualified for the NCAA Tournament 10 of the last 11 years.
STITH SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION IN 2019
Coach Tyler Stith signed a five-year contract extension to keep him in Iowa City through 2024. He has led the Hawkeyes to top-four finishes at the Big Ten Championships four times and advanced to four NCAA Regionals in five seasons.
LOOKING AHEAD
Iowa’s spring season begins Feb. 7-8 in Palm Coast, Florida, at Big Ten Match Play.
