This could be the year that Iowa women’s golf starts to make its jump to success. The team is full of old faces, with the addition of some new young talent to round out the roster.

The 2017-18 season was not the best for the Hawkeyes, but there were a few flashes of success. Overall, the squad normally finished at the lower end of the leaderboard, with the exception of a few instances. Luckily for Iowa, it’s a new season, which may allow an upward trend.

The first positive is that Kristin Glesne returns for her senior year. This is very good for the Hawkeyes because she started off the 2017-18 season with a career-best 70 (minus-2) on 18 holes. She continued to work hard throughout her junior year, and she led the Hawkeyes in numerous events.

Glesne heads into her senior season as an experienced, trustworthy player, and it seems as if she will be the team leader. Last season, she averaged a 76.4 on 26 rounds with a low of 70. She led the team at the Mercedes-Benz Championship and the Ruth Chris Tar Heel Invitational, despite the team’s shortcomings.

The second positive comes with the young talent that the Hawkeyes have returning. Sophomore Rachel Fujitani was pivotal in the spring season, with an average of 76.4 on 18 rounds and a low of 71. She has the talent to be right at the top of the Hawkeye depth chart along with seniors Glesne and Shawn Rennegarbe.

Fujitanti led the team at the Arizona State Invitational and the Bruzzy Challenge, while placing in the top six at the Big Ten Championships.

The Hawkeyes have a chance to have a big season if they can pool all their talent, but it is going to take a bit of work on the course.

Although the team has some top players returning, a negative for the team is the loss of four seniors. Last season, the team consisted of 11 players, but only seven played on a consistent basis.

With three of the seven consistent players having graduated, the weight is shifted onto the younger players. Their averages usually ranged from middle to upper 70s.

If the Hawkeyes want to turn their season around, the younger players will need to show progression as golfers. If each can decrease her average score to around 75-77, the Hawkeyes will see a payoff in the Big Ten ranks.

This season could be a bang or a bust for the Hawkeyes, depending on how the individual play works as a unit.

If each player shows improvement, knocking a few strokes off her game, and the stronger players keep progressing, Iowa will have a much-improved season. The Hawkeyes have the talent in the coaching staff and players to make noise in the Big Ten this season, even with the loss of a few key players.