Iowa To Play In Spartan Collegiate At Sea Island

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s golf team heads to Sea Island, Georgia, for the Spartan Collegiate at Sea Island. Hosted by Michigan State, the event is held at the Plantation course at the Sea Island Resort.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
The first two rounds will be played on Monday before the final round on Tuesday. There will be a 7 a.m. (CT) shotgun start both days.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can follow this week’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
Iowa has not announced its lineup for the event. Individuals will qualify on site.

THE FIELD
Iowa will face off against seven Big Ten opponents in a field of 16 that includes Michigan State, Iowa, Indiana, Rutgers, Minnesota, Ohio State, Northwestern, Iowa State, Kansas State, Memphis, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Miami, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, and Georgia Southern.

THE COURSE
The Spartan Collegiate at Sea Island is held at the scenic Plantation Golf Course at the Sea Island Resort. The Plantation course was expanded in recent years and is now one of the premier 18-hole courses in Georgia.  The Plantation is a par 72 course that spans 6,661 yards.

MONTERO RANKED NO. 18
Gonzalo Leal Montero was ranked the 18th best Division I men’s golfer by GolfStat on March 2. The top 20 ranking makes him the third-highest ranked Big Ten player in the poll.

ON THE LINKS
Last time out, Iowa tied for fifth at the 14-team Kiawah Invitational held at the Oak Point Golf Course.  The Hawkeyes surged forward two spots on the final day of competition, shooting 5-under in the third round, the second lowest in the field. Junior Gonzalo Leal Montero led the way for Iowa, finishing with an individual score that tied for eighth place (-7).

  • Leal Montero’s performance was good for his third top ten finish as a Hawkeye.
  • Iowa’s next-best finishes came from fifth-year senior Benton Weinberg and sophomore Mac McClear, who each registered 3-under par scores. That tied the duo for 23rd place.
  • Leal Montero was one of 15 players to card an eagle.
  • Weinberg sank 14 birdies, tying for 10th most in the field.
  • Iowa posted a 54-hole score of 14-under par at the Kiawah Invitational, which was the best finish among six other Big Ten teams (Purdue, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Michigan State, and Maryland).
  • The Hawkeyes opened the season with a second-place finish at Big Ten Match Play. The Hawkeyes defeated Nebraska (3-2), Penn State (3-2), and Michigan State (3-2) before falling to Indiana in the final (3-2). That was good for Iowa’s best-ever finish at the event.
  • Fifth-year senior Alex Schaake’s picked up a program record 11th career individual win at Big Ten Match Play. Benton Weinberg picked up his ninth career win at the event, moving him into third in program history.

HAWKEYE TEE SHOTS

  • Schaake led the Hawkeyes in rounds at or below par (11) and 18-hole stroke average (71.6) last season. Leal Montero finished second on the team in both categories with 10 rounds at or below par and a 71.9 stroke average.
  • Schaake posted four top-20 finishes, while Leal Montero finished in the top-20 twice. Weinberg and Matthew Garside each recorded one top-20 finish.

HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
Two freshmen — Callum Macfie (Yorkshire, England) and Felipe Pedraza (Lima, Peru) join the Hawkeye roster this spring. Iowa also welcomes Charles Jahn (Sperry, Iowa) as a graduate transfer.

LOOKING AHEAD
Iowa will take on the University of Florida on March 29, in Naples, Florida.