THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s golf team kicks off its spring season with a trip to Palm Harbor, Florida, for Big Ten Match Play from Jan. 31-Feb. 1. The event will be held at the Innisbrook-Island Golf Course (par 72, 6,344 yards).
• The Hawkeyes will play two matches Monday, facing 10th-seeded Rutgers in the morning opening round at 7:15 a.m. (CT) followed by an afternoon match against either No. 1 Purdue, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Wisconsin or No. 8 Indiana at 12:45 p.m. Iowa will close out the event with one match Tuesday beginning at 7:15 a.m.
• Seeding for the event was based off each team’s Golfstat ranking following the fall season.
FOLLOW LIVE
Fans can follow the tournament via live scoring at www.Golfstat.com.
LINEUP
The Hawkeyes’ lineup will consist of freshman Paula Miranda, sophomore Klara Wildhaber, junior Morgan Goldstein, junior Lea Zeitler, senior Dana Lerner and senior Manuela Lizarazu.
THE FIELD
The Big Ten Match Play event will consist of a 10-team field, including Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers and Wisconsin.
THE COURSE
The Island Course offers picturesque views and challenging play for golfers at every skill level. The course features tight fairways, intimidating water hazards, abundant bunkers, and extraordinary elevation change uncommon to the typical Florida terrain, and home of the second-highest point of elevation in Pinellas County. Guests and members alike consider the Island Course to be as equally, if not more, demanding as Copperhead. The course has played host to numerous U.S. Open qualifiers, NCAA Championships, and the LPGA TOUR’s Legends Championship, and has also been ranked among the country’s Top 50 Resort Courses by Golf Digest.
MIRANDA SHINES IN THE FALL
Freshman Paula Miranda had a strong fall season, posting a team-best 73.67 scoring average over four fall tournaments. The Mexico native posted one top 10 and two top 20 finishes, including a runner-up showing at the Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate.
• She posted a score of 212 (-4) at the Ron Moore, finishing at or below par in each of her three rounds. The 212 total ranks second in school history and the final round 68 is sixth-best all-time.
• Miranda fired a season-low round of 67 at the Badger Invitational in the second event of the fall. The score is tied for the second-lowest round in school history.
• Miranda also tied for 12th at the Women’s Amateur Latin America Championships with a 72-hole score of 296.
OF NOTE
• Sophomore Klara Wildhaber paced the team at the White Sands Invitational, tying for 17th place with a 221.
• Senior Dana Lerner had a career-best 221 (+5) at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate, which included two career-best rounds of 73.
• Senior Manuela Lizarazu shot a season-best 70 in her final round at the White Sands Invitational. It was the second-lowest round by a Hawkeye in the fall.
• Iowa’s final round 287 at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate was the eighth-lowest round in school history and the team’s 880 54-hole score is seventh-best in school history.
TRANSFER JOINS HAWKEYE ROSTER
Senior Laura Amelon joins the Hawkeyes as a graduate transfer after playing four seasons at St. Catherine’s University. During her career in St. Paul, the Iowa City, Iowa, native earned one MIAC all-conference honor and posted a 79.4 scoring average during her final season. Amelon prepped at Iowa City West High School.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Hawkeyes will play their first stroke play event of the spring from Feb. 13-15, traveling to New Orleans for the Tulane Classic presented by Chad Brownstein.