The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Walker, Ip highlight weekend for Iowa golf

Iowas+Benton+Weinberg+stands+on+the+green+during+a+tournament+at+the+Donald+Ross+Course+at+the+Cedar+Rapids+Country+Club+in+Cedar+Rapids+on+Tuesday%2C+Sept.+19%2C+2017.+
Joseph Cress
Iowa’s Benton Weinberg stands on the green during a tournament at the Donald Ross Course at the Cedar Rapids Country Club in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017.

It was a busy weekend for the Hawkeye golf teams, and both the men and women competed in tournaments this weekend.

Women

The women’s golf team took a trip to Cincinnati this past weekend for the Big Ten Championships. It was a weekend that the Hawkeyes wished had gone better, as they finished 12th of the 14 teams.

As a team, Iowa shot 900 (36-over), which put them 41 strokes behind the winner, Michigan State.

“Definitely not the finish that we were hoping for,” coach Megan Menzel said. “But the team battled all the way to the end. I am proud of the freshmen for battling back today. Our seniors represented Iowa well all year, and they will be missed. I am excited about our leadership in our junior class, and I know they are hungry to guide next year’s team to big things.”

RELATED: Freshman Fujitani Steps Up Big For Iowa Golf

Individually, the highest finisher for the Hawkeyes was senior Jessica Ip, who after a strong first two rounds, placed in 25th. She had a 54-hole total of 221 (5-over), but that score could’ve been better had it not been for a rough final round.

“Today, I got into a few more challenging positions with my approach shots, which made for difficult up and downs,” Ip said. “I tried to play more aggressively when I could, but in the end, it didn’t pay off as much as I would have liked. This wasn’t the round I would have liked to end my college career on, but I’m proud of my previous rounds and achievements these past four years. Nothing went as expected, and I would not have it any other way.”

With the Hawkeyes failing to finish high enough to qualify for the regional, it marks the conclusion of their season.

Men

Iowa men’s golf team was also in Ohio for the weekend. However, a bit northeast of the women in Columbus for the Kepler Invitational.

It was a crucial match for the Hawkeyes — it was their last outing before they compete in the Big Ten Tournament in Maryland next week.

After a near-win in the Hawkeye Invitational, the sprits were high for this team, and that showed again this past weekend.

While they didn’t finish as close to the top of the leaderboard as they may have liked, the Hawkeyes still finished sixth among 16 teams with a 54-hole score of 875 (23-over).

Matthew Walker paced the Hawkeyes with a 54-hole total of 214 (1-over), good enough for sixth place.

The tournament was highlighted by the final round, in which the Hawkeyes had their best round, turning in an 18-hole score of 289 (5-over).

More to Discover
About the Contributor
Jordan Zuniga, Sports Reporter
Email: [email protected] Twitter: @j_zuni Jordan Zuniga is a sports reporter at The Daily Iowan covering football. This is Zuniga's second year with the DI where he has covered a variety of sports such as: women's basketball, golf, women's soccer, baseball, track and field, softball, and men's basketball.