PINEHURST, N.C. – The University of Iowa men’s golf team placed seventh at the Wake Forest Invitational as play at Pinehurst No. 2 drew to a close on Tuesday. Junior Mac McClear tied for seventh at the highly competitive event with a 54-hole score of 216 (+6). No. 24 Clemson earned the team title, with three additional teams ranked in the top 35 nationally placing ahead of the Hawkeyes.
McClear shot an 18-hole 71 (+1) on Tuesday to secure his third top-10 finish of the season. Consistency was key for the reigning Big Ten champion, who tied for third in the field in par five scoring (-3) and seventh in par fours scoring (+6).
Iowa’s score of 293 (+13) on Tuesday was its lowest round at the event. Junior Garrett Tighe had the next-lowest third round score for the Hawkeyes, shooting 73 (+3) to move up nine spots on the leaderboard to 36th place.
Junior Ronan Kleu marked Iowa’s second-best finish, tying for 29th at 226 (+16) after 54 holes. Kleu lead the Hawkeyes with eight birdies, which also matched the eighth-highest birdie total in the field.
Freshman Ian Meyer tied for 32nd, one stroke behind Kleu with a 54-hole score of 227 (+17), while senior Gonzalo Leal Montero tied for 41st with a 229 (+19) total.
Sophomore Callum Macfie competed individually at the event, tying for 57th with a score of 235 on the week.
IOWA SCORECARD
| 8 | Iowa | 301 | 299 | 293 | +53 | 893 |
| T-7 | Mac McClear | 75 | 70 | 71 | +6 | 216 |
| T-29 | Ronan Kleu | 74 | 78 | 74 | +16 | 226 |
| T-32 | Ian Meyer | 74 | 77 | 76 | +17 | 227 |
| T-36 | Garrett Tighe | 79 | 76 | 73 | +18 | 228 |
| T-41 | Gonzalo Leal Montero | 78 | 76 | 75 | +19 | 229 |
| T-57 | Callum Macfie* | 83 | 76 | 76 | +25 | 235 |
*Competed individually
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH TYLER STITH
“The guys received a great learning experience this week playing a major championship venue. The tough setup exposed our driving accuracy. We were playing out of position far too often. Mac [McClear] followed up yesterday’s round with another strong performance. His ball striking wasn’t completely on, but he found a way to post a score with his short game and course management. That’s what good players do.”
HAWKEYE NOTEABLES
- McClear finished ahead of numerous nationally ranked opponents, including Wake Forest’s No. 18 Michael Brennan and No. 33 Alex Fitzpatrick.
- The Hawkeyes totaled 28 birdies, ranking fourth in the field. Kleu led the way with eight, followed by McClear (7), Leal Montero (6), Meyer (4), Macfie (4), and Tighe (3).
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes travel to Statesboro, Georgia, for the Schenkel Invitational March 18-20 at Forest Heights Country Club.