IOWA CITY, Iowa — The 35th-ranked University of Iowa men’s golf team will compete in the NCAA Regionals at Tumble Creek Golf and Country Club in Cle Elum, Washington on May 17-19.
The Hawkeyes received one of 51 at-large spots into postseason play. Iowa will make its 11th NCAA Regionals appearance since 2009. Tumble Creek Golf and Country Club is a par-71 and stretches 7,122 yards.
“A year ago, we weren’t playing golf,” said head coach Tyler Stith. “I told our team that no matter where we ended up, we were going to be grateful, we are going to have a great attitude, and we are going to take care of business. Washington was one of my top choices because I know the golf course is fantastic. It’s going to be a great experience and our guys will be ready to go.”
Joining Iowa in the 14-team field are Wake Forest, Pepperdine, Florida, Arizona, San Francisco, Washington, East Tennessee State, Utah, Oregon, Mississippi State, Long Beach State, Denver, and Sacramento State.
Iowa, who finished runners-up at last weekend’s Big Ten Championships, will be one of 81 teams looking to advance to the NCAA Championships scheduled for May 28-June 2, at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“We are excited to begin the road to Grayhawk,” said Schaake. “I don’t know anything about the course, but it looks amazing. I’m proud of our team earning a No. 6 seed. We’ve had a really good year and we are excited about our opportunity.”
Other regional sites are located in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Tennessee, Indiana, and Florida. The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team from each regional site (six individuals total) will advance to the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk.
“I think it is going be an advantage [to play in a colder climate],” Schaake said. “The top four teams in our region are from the south; playing Big Ten golf you experience all kinds of weather and you don’t usually play in very pretty weather at all, so I believe we have an advantage.”
The Hawkeyes have finished fourth or better in five of seven tournaments this spring. Iowa won the Spartan Collegiate at Sea Island (March 9) and the Hawkeye Invitational (April 18), and placed second at the Big Ten Championships and Big Ten Match Play.