THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s golf team returns to action this weekend, traveling to Columbus, Ohio, for the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational. The 54-hole tournament will be held at the OSU Scarlet Course (par 72, 6,319 yards) with a 7:30 a.m. (CT) shotgun start scheduled on Saturday and Sunday.
• The tournament will be a play six, count four format.
FOLLOW LIVE
Fans can follow the tournament via live scoring at Golfstat.com.
THE LINEUP
The Hawkeyes’ lineup will include: junior Paula Miranda, sophomore Madison Dabagia, freshman Ximena Benites, sophomore Riley Lewis, sophomore Shannyn Vogler and sophomore Kaitlyn Hanna.
THE FIELD
The 12-team field includes: Illinois (62), Indiana (75), Iowa (91), Kent State (66), Michigan State (31), Minnesota (57), Nebraska (70), Ohio State (37), Penn State (101), Purdue (32), Rutgers (86) and Wisconsin (71).
THE COURSE
Augusta National and Cypress Point architect Alister MacKenzie originally designed Ohio State’s Scarlet Course in 1931, but he passed away in 1934 before construction began. Jack Nicklaus returned to his collegiate course in 2005-06 to restore the bunkers and lengthen the course to over 7,400 yards. The bunkers are some of the most penal in college golf, many massive in size and most with tall lips, often requiring high-lofted clubs to get back in play. The greens often play quite firm, making it difficult to hold approach shots close to some hole locations.
LAST MEET
Iowa fired the third-best final round total (286) en route to a seventh place finish at the Chattanooga Classic, which wrapped up on April 9. The Hawkeyes finished with an 882 total over the 54-hole tournament. Junior Paula Miranda paced the team, tying for fifth overall with a one under par 212.
MIRANDA NOTCHES TOP-5 FINISH
Junior Paula Miranda finished with back-to-back sub-par round en route to tying for fifth place at the Chattanooga Classic. The Mexico native fired a final round 67 (-4) and finished the 54-hole tournament with a 212 (75-70-67). It was Miranda’s highest fin- ish of the season and the third top 10 finish of her career. She has led or tied for the team lead in three tournaments this season.
MADI’S SPRING SUCCESS
Sophomore Madison Dabagia is enjoying a breakout spring season, as the Indiana native has shot at or below par in eight rounds. Dabagia has a team-best 72.71 scoring average with four top 20 finishes. She shot back-to-back 209s in tournaments in Arizona and Florida to tie the school 54-hole record.
• Dabagia fired a six-under par 66 in the opening round at the UNF Collegiate, tying the school record that was previously set in 2021.
OF NOTE…
• Sophomore Madison Dabagia and junior Paula Miranda tied the 54-hole school record, firing seven-under par 209s at the Westbrook Spring Invitational. Dabagia matched the record a second consecutive week in Jacksonville.
• Miranda’s top five finish in Tennessee moved her into second place on Iowa’s scoring average list for the 2023-24 season. The junior has a 73.30 scoring average over 23 rounds.
• Sophomore Kaitlyn Hanna had a career-low score of 216 (E) at the Westbrook Invitational. The Omaha native has a 74.21 scoring average with eight rounds at or below par this spring.
• The Hawkeyes finished with team 18, 36 and 54-hole school records at the Westbrook Spring Invitational. Iowa has six of the top 17 rounds and two of the top three and four of the top 16 54-hole scores in school history this spring.
• Iowa has 27 sub-par rounds and 12 even par rounds, individually, this season. The team has been in the red in four individual rounds this season.
UP NEXT
Iowa begins its championship season on April 19-21, traveling to Havre de Grace, Maryland, for the 2024 Big Ten Championships.