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Iowa Set to Compete at NCAA RegionalsIowa Set to Compete at NCAA Regionals
Men's Golf

Iowa Set to Compete at NCAA Regionals

THIS WEEK
The 32nd-ranked University of Iowa men’s golf team tees off at the NCAA Regionals May 17-19, in Cle Elum, Washington. The 54-hole event will be played at the Tumble Creek Golf and Country Club.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
The Hawkeyes are set to compete in one of six 54-hole regional tournaments that will be conducted May 17-19. The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each region will advance to the finals May 28-June 2.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
You can follow this week’s action by visiting golfstat.com or bigten.org for live scoring. Links can be found on the men’s golf schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.

THE LINEUP
Iowa has not announced its lineup for the event. Individuals will qualify this weekend.

THE FIELD
Iowa is the six-seed in the 14-team field. Joining the Hawkeyes are No. 6 Wake Forest, No. 7 Pepperdine, No. 17 Florida, No. 20 Arizona, No. 25 San Francisco, No. 37 Washington, No. 50 East Tennessee State, No. 54 Utah, No. 57 Oregon, No. 48 Mississippi State, No. 89 Long Beach State, No. 92 Denver, and No. 153 Sacramento State.

THE COURSE
Tumble Creek is a par-71 that stretches 7,122 yards. One of six regional sites, the pristine course features towering pines and clear blue ponds that perfectly reflect the mountainous landscape which surrounds the area. The course demands precision in all elements of a golfer’s game, rewarding players who roam the rolling hills with confidence and discipline.

HAWKEYES COLLECT BIG TEN POSTSEASON HARDWARE
The Hawkeyes dominated Big Ten award season, as fifth-year senior Alex Schaake was named Big Ten Golfer of the Year and joined sophomore Mac McClear on the all-conference first team. Head Coach Tyler Stith also received Big Ten Coach of the Year accolades, and junior Gonzalo Leal-Montero was named the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.

  • Schaake previously received conference player of the year honors in 2019. He is the first Hawkeye to receive the award in multiple seasons, and just the sixth Big Ten golfer to do so since 1988.
  • McClear was the only unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection this season.
8b8820e5-20210418_iowa_mens_golf_hawkeye_invite_142Iowa’s Alex Schaake shakes hands after winning the 2021 Hawkeye Invitational at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City, IA on Sunday, April 18, 2021. (Stephen Mally/hawkeyesports.com)

IOWA AT REGIONALS
Iowa is making its 11th NCAA Regionals appearance since 2009. The Hawkeyes placed seventh at the 2019 Austin Regional. There was no 2020 postseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hawkeyes last qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2012.

ON THE LINKS
The Hawkeyes finished second at the Big Ten Championships last time out. Iowa finished just one stroke behind defending-champion Illinois as Mac McClear placed on top of the leaderboard, notching the program’s first individual Big Ten title since the 2015 season.

  • McClear was the only player to finish below par through 54 holes at the challenging Crooked Stick Golf Club. McClear’s one-under par score of 215 was good for Iowa’s fourth-ever individual championship at the event.
  • McClear tied for a tournament-best 40 pars along with a 4.1 stroke average on par-fours that was the best in the field. He has won 2 of the last 6 individual titles for Iowa, who has produced three total medalists this season.
  • Schaake tied for second place at 218 (+2). The Hawkeye veteran has finished in the top five in each of the last five tournaments.
  • McClear and Schaake previously finished 1-and-2 at the Spartan Collegiate at Sea Island on March 9.
  • Schaake’s 11 birdies led the Hawkeyes, who had a tournament-high of 42 birdies on the weekend.
  • Sophomore Garrett Tighe rounded out the top 10 for the Hawkeyes, tying for tenth.
  • Iowa led the field in par-four stroke average by four strokes on the weekend (4.27). The Hawkeyes tied Illinois for the highest par-three average (3.2).
  • Iowa has finished in the top three at the Big Ten Championships in six of the last eight years, including runner-up finishes in 2015, 2016, and 2021.

RANKINGS AND HONORS
Alex Schaake remains at No. 11 in the PGA TOUR University standings, which matches his best ranking in the metric this season. He trails just one other Big Ten golfer.

Schaake is ranked at No. 42 in the GolfStat player ranking, which is tops for the team.  Mac McClear is up to No. 70 this week.

LOOKING AHEAD
The top five teams from each region, as well as the lowest scoring individual not on an advancing team, will advance to the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.