Joseph Cress
Iowa's Alex Schaake drives during a tournament at the Donald Ross Course at the Cedar Rapids Country Club in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017.
Hawkeye Alex Schaake is heading to the U.S. Amateur Championship.
The Omaha native won the qualifying tournament in his home state on July 10, shooting a 68 (3 under) in round one and a 64 in round two.
“I played the best I have played this summer,” Schaake said in a release. “I didn’t have any bogeys, which is impressive out here, because you have to drive the ball so well. I was able to make those 6- to 7-foot putts for par when I needed them to keep the round going.”
Schaake trailed by 2 strokes following round one of the tournament, but he lit it up in the second en route to victory. He won by 4 strokes and ended up with 10 birdies on Monday.
Now, the junior will set his sights on the U.S. Amateur, which is held in Pebble Beach, California, from Aug. 13-19.
“The U.S. Amateur is such a historic tournament,” he said in a release. “I’m looking forward to playing such a cool place like Pebble Beach.”
Schaake’s success isn’t coming out of the blue. Last season for the Hawkeyes, he was an All-Big Ten selection during the Big Ten Championships. There, he placed 18th. Schaake also held a team-best 71.88 hole average, the fourth-lowest in program history.
Schaake was also a Division 1 PING All-Midwest Regional selection in 2018.