ERIN, Wis. – The University of Iowa men’s golf team is tied for sixth place at the Marquette Invitational following Sunday’s opening round. The Hawkeyes lead four of their five Big Ten opponents competing at Erin Hills Golf Course, including Northwestern, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.
Junior Ronan Kleu is in front for Iowa after day one at five-under par (67). The Columbus State transfer and Swiss native is tied for third following a bogey-free round. Kleu, who teed off from hole No. 10, birdied the first three holes on his front nine before finishing the day with a birdie on the par-three ninth hole. He currently trails leader Mats Ege of East Tennessee State by two strokes (-7).
Senior Gonzalo Leal-Montero also enters the second round tied for a spot in the top 10. Leal-Montero registered five birdies, including three on a bogey-free back nine to open the day. The Hawkeye veteran finished the day with a three-under par score of 69 to tie for 10th place through 18 holes.
IOWA SCORECARD
| T-6 | Iowa | 286 | — | — | -2 | 286 |
| T-3 | Ronan Kleu | 67 | — | — | -5 | 67 |
| T-10 | Gonzalo Leal-Montero | 69 | — | — | -3 | 69 |
| T-49 | Jake Rowe | 74 | — | — | +2 | 74 |
| T-73 | Mac McClear | 76 | — | — | +4 | 76 |
| T-86 | Ian Meyer | 78 | — | — | +6 | 78 |
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH TYLER STITH
“We started great this morning. We only made one bogey as a team the first nine holes. We made the turn and struggled on holes two through four that were back into the wind. We need to manage those holes better tomorrow. The guys are feeling good and there’s a lot of golf left to be played.
We’re very happy for Ronan [Kleu]. That is a great performance in his debut. He made a few big saves early in his round to calm the nerves. Once he settled into his round he looked very comfortable and played great.”
HAWKEYE NOTEABLES
- Iowa’s 2.9 stroke average on par-threes leads all teams (-2); Kleu’s 2.5 stroke average on par-threes leads the individual field (-2), while he and Leal-Montero’s 3.8 stroke average on par-fours ties them for third best among individual competitors (-2).
- Kleu and Leal-Montero also combined for 10 of the Hawkeyes’ 16 birdies on the day.
UP NEXT
The Marquette Invitational continues Monday at Erin Hills Golf Course. The Hawkeyes will be paired with Northern Illinois and South Florida with tee times set between 9:50-10:30 a.m. (CT).