Hawkeyes Set to Host the 32nd Hawkeye Invitational

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men's golf team is set host the Hawkeye Invitational at Blue Top Ridge at Riverside, Iowa on April 20-21st.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
The tournament is two days, teeing off on Monday, April 20th with 36 holes and concluding Monday, April 21st with 18 holes. The format of the tournament is a shotgun start teeing off at 9 a.m. (CT) on Monday and Tuesday.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
You can follow next week's action by visiting scoreboard.clippd.com for live scoring. Links can be found on the men's golf schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.

THE FIELD
Fourteen schools will compete in this year’s Hawkeye Invitational: Iowa, Drake, Valparaiso, Western Illinois, Missouri State, UMKC, North Dakota State, Air Force, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, DePaul, Omaha, and Southern Illinois.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
2026 marks the 32nd edition of the historic Hawkeye Invitational as Iowa seeks its 18th championship in the tournament’s history. The Hawkeyes have won three of the last six team titles dating back to 2019 (event was canceled in 2020). The tournament will be held at Blue Top Ridge for the first time this year. Previously, the Hawkeye Invitational has been held at Finkbine Golf Course.

Last season, the Hawkeyes had two top finishers. Max Tjoa led the team, tying for seventh at three-under-par (213). He led the field in par-3 scoring with an even-par average and recorded a 66 in the second round of the tournament, which ranks 20th in Iowa 18-hole records. Gage Messingham also tied for seventh at three-under-par (213).

Iowa had two top-10 finishers in 2024, with Noah Kent and Hogan Hansen tying for ninth place. In 2023, the Hawkeyes had three players finish in the top 10 and took home the team title. Iowa alum Mac McClear claimed individual medalist honors that year with a 10-under-par performance.

Iowa has won 17 Hawkeye Invitational titles and has crowned 16 individual champions in the tournament’s history, including the 2019 season when Matthew Walker and Alex Schaake claimed co-medalist honors. The duo each posted a program record, tournament record, and career-best 54-hole score of 199 (-14), topping the previous school mark by four strokes. Schaake defended his individual crown in 2021, finishing two strokes ahead of teammate Mac McClear, who was runner-up. 

Iowa claimed the inaugural team title in 1970, as well as the next seven in a string lasting through 1981. Other champions include Wisconsin, Kent State, Western Illinois, and Kansas.   

THE COURSE
Spanning 7,432 yards, Blue Top Ridge was named the top golf course in the state of Iowa in 2026 by IowaGolf.com. Designed by Rees Jones, who constructed over 100 courses in the United States, including seven U.S. Open venues, five PGA courses and three Ryder Cup sites. The holes sit on the floodplain of the Iowa River with several water hazards being in play. The par-72 course is located 15 miles south of Iowa City in Riverside, Iowa.

BIG TIME SHELLBERG
Ryan Shellberg was named Big Ten Golfer of the Week (April 9) after a runner-up finish at the Calusa Cup. The Prosper, Texas, native has finished inside the top 25 in all four spring tournaments.
- At the Calusa Cup, he posted all three rounds under par with a 68 (-4), 71 (-1), and 69 (-3). He played 47 of 54 holes at par or better. His 208 total is the best 54-hole performance by a Hawkeye at the event and ties for 28th in program history.
- At the Duck Invitational, Shellberg led the team with an 18th-place finish, posting a three-over-par 217.
- At the Colleton River Collegiate, he opened the tournament with a four-under-par 68 in round one and followed with a three-under-par 69 in round two to hold the individual lead through 36 holes. Shellberg recorded par or better on 34 of his first 36 holes.

TJOA FILE
Junior Max Tjoa opened the 2025-26 season with three straight under-par finishes. He earned co-medalist honors at the Fighting Irish Classic at 6-under-par (204), highlighted by a hole-in-one and a career-low 65 (-5). His 54-hole total ranks second in program history.
- This spring, Tjoa placed fifth at the Puerto Rico Classic, marking his third top-10 finish of the season. He shot 11-under-par (202), the third-best 54-hole score in program history.
- He also tied for 10th at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate in the fall, recording 14 birdies and finishing two-under on par 4s.
- Tjoa has placed in the top-10 three times this season.

GUDGEL FILE
Redshirt freshman Grant Gudgel made an strong debut season as a Hawkeye, highlighted by a seventh-place finish at the Moraine Intercollegiate at six-under-par (207), earning his first career top-10 finish. He shot par or better in all three rounds, including a second-round 66 with six birdies and 17 holes at par or better, and his scores counted for Iowa in every fall event.
- In his spring debut at the Puerto Rico Classic, Gudgel finished ninth, posting a 54-hole total of 206. This was his best tournament as a Hawkeye and tied for the 10th-best 54-hole score in program history.
- Gudgel has placed in the top-25 five times this season.

MESSINGHAM FILE
Senior Gage Messingham sustained a season-ending injury this off season and will not be competing in the spring.

STRONG SPRING OPENER
Iowa opened the spring season with a strong performance at the Puerto Rico Classic, finishing at 24-under-par 840. This ties for the ninth-lowest 54-hole total in program history.
- Max Tjoa led the way with an 11-under-par 202, tying for the third-best 54-hole score in school history and finishing fifth individually. Grant Gudgel added a ninth-place finish at 10-under par (206), while Ryan Shellberg posted a career-low seven-under-par tournament to earn a top-25 finish.

FINKBINE GOLF COURSE RENOVATION
Finkbine, home of Iowa men’s and women’s golf, will undergo a major renovation starting after the 2025 season. Led by architect Scott Hoffman and managed by Troon, the project will modernize the layout, enhance playability for all skill levels, and incorporate sustainable turf practices. Privately funded by Fritz and Mary Lee Duda, the renovation aims to position Finkbine as one of the premier collegiate golf courses in the Midwest.

FALL RECAP
The Hawkeyes turned in a strong fall season, highlighted by sixth-place finishes at the Moraine Intercollegiate and Fighting Irish Classic. Iowa outperformed several Big Ten opponents during the fall, including Indiana, Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan.
- Redshirt freshman Grant Gudgel led the Hawkeyes at Moraine with a seventh-place finish at six-under-par (207), earning his first career top-10 finish. Junior Max Tjoa led the team throughout the fall, opening the season with three straight under-par finishes and leading Iowa with a tie for first at the Fighting Irish Classic.

SIGNING DAY RECAP
The Hawkeyes welcomed three student-athletes to the program as part of the 2025 signing class: Andrew Johannsen (Johnston, Iowa), Joey Scott (Lemont, Illinois), and Cody Weaver (Gilman, Iowa).
- Scott is a two-time IHSA All-State selection and first golfer in Lemont history to earn the honor twice. Scott is a 2025 PGA Jr. League National Champion, owns a career-low round of 63.
- Johannsen is the 2025 Iowa High School Individual State Champion and a three-time First Team All-State selection. Johannsen posted a 69.60 scoring average as a senior.
- Weaver is a  three-time all-state honoree and Iowa Junior  Open Champion with strong multi-sport credentials. Weaver was also the runner-up at the Iowa Junior PGA Championship.

UP NEXT
Iowa heads to North Plains, Oregon, for the Big Ten Championships, May 1–3.