Iowa Prepares for Williams Cup

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s golf team concludes the fall season in Wilmington, North Carolina, at the Williams Cup Presented by STITCH Golf. Hosted by the University of North Carolina at Eagle Point Golf Club, the event honors former Tar Heel men’s basketball coach Roy Williams.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can follow the 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 TOURNAMENT
Iowa is competing at the inaugural event honoring former North Carolina men’s basketball coach Roy Williams. This will be the Hawkeyes’ first competition at Eagle Point Golf Club.

THE LINEUP
Junior Mac McClear will lead the Hawkeyes in the No. 1 spot, followed by junior Ronan Kleu, freshman Ian Meyer, junior Garrett Tighe, and senior Gonzalo Leal Montero.

THE FIELD
Third-ranked North Carolina hosts a field of 10 teams, including No. 25 Indiana, No. 28 Michigan State, No. 29 Georgia, No. 34 Vanderbilt, No. 37 Louisville, No. 41 North Carolina State, Houston, and UNC Wilmington.

THE COURSE
Spanning 7,417 yards, Eagle Point Golf Club showcases the natural beauty of its coastal landscape. The course features challenging greens and numerous water hazards. Eagle Point was the site of the 2017 Wells Fargo Championship; Brian Harman won the PGA Tour event with a 10-under par 72-hole hole score of 278.  The course has been ranked as a top-100 American golf course by Golf Digest every year since 2009.

ON THE LINE
The individual champion at the Williams Cup will receive an exemption to compete in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Rex Hospital Open. The event is hosted annually at TPC Wakefield Plantation Raleigh, North Carolina; the 2022 tournament is scheduled for June 2-5.

ON THE LINKS
The Hawkeyes finished 10th out of 14 teams last time out at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Classic. The Hawkeyes shot 858 (+18) on the week at the par 70 Warren Golf Course.

• Kleu McClear tied for eighth at the event, posting 54-hole scores of 206 (-4). The duo were the low Big Ten finishers at the event.
• Kleu’s final round of 67 matched a season low and propelled him to a top 10 finish. McClear shot two rounds of 67 as well, marking a season low 18-hole round for the defending Big Ten champion.

IN THE RANKINGS
Kleu checks in at 18th in the most recent GolfStat player rankings, which is the highest among all Big Ten golfers. Kleu also ranks No. 32 in the Golfweek standings, trailing only Purdue’s Herman Wibe Sekne among conference competitors.

HEAR FROM THE HAWKEYES – MAC MCCLEAR
“I am really excited to play at a high level course this week. These courses are always in great shape. I like testing my game against the best competition.”

A LOOK AHEAD
Kleu will compete at the Spirit International Golf Championship Nov. 4-6 at Whispering Pines Golf Club. The tournament pits national teams of four amateur golfers (two men and two women) from numerous countries against each other in a 72-hole best ball competition. The biennial event features some of the top amateur talent from around the world.