Men’s and women’s golf teams swing for the spring
With the conclusion of Iowa golf’s fall tournament slate, both teams have a lot to look forward to.
Iowa’s Alex Schaake putts during a tournament at the Donald Ross Course at the Cedar Rapids Country Club in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017.
November 8, 2018
The arrival of November means the end of the men’s and women’s golf teams’ fall seasons.
Both of Iowa’s teams have finished their respective slate of tournaments and are now focusing on getting ready for the spring, but the fall work is important to look back on.
Women’s golf
The Hawkeye women’s team competed in five tournaments this fall but only placed in the top-five in one: the Diane Thomason Invitational.
The team took home the gold with an 898 (34-over), led by three top-five individual finishes including a first-place tie by senior Shawn Rennegarbe.
Rennegarbe put everything out on the course this season, and it paid off. She recorded season-best records as well as career-best records: a 18-hole score of 69 at the Thomason Invitational, a 54-hole score of 221 at the Thomason, and a best career finish of tying for first place at the Thomason.
Freshman Manuela Lizarazu was one of the new additions to the team this fall, and the effect she had on the team was quite beneficial.
She made the lineup for every tournament and recorded three top-30 finishes. As the season went on and she continued to get experience, her scores got better.
During the first tournament — the Branch Law Firm Invitational — Lizarazu tied for 70th and during the Thomason, she placed third.
Men’s golf
The Iowa men’s golf team also competed in five tournaments this fall and enjoyed successful finishes.
Iowa placed in the top-five in three of the tournaments and the top-10 once.
But the team didn’t just have season-best finishes; junior Alex Schaake had three top-10 finishes.
The 2018-19 season also notched an impressive statistic for the team. There are eight members on the team, and five shot lows in the 60s: Aaron DeNucci (69), Gonzalo Leal Montero (67), Schaake (67), Matthew Walker (66), and Benton Weinberg (67).
These statistics also led to the team recording an average low score of 66.
For the team to have a successful spring, it will need to keep up the production and build on the success from the fall.
Schaake is essential. He averages a 70.7 in tournaments and recorded a low of 67, the second best on the team.
Walker is another Hawkeye who has a pivotal role on the team. He placed fifth at the Gopher Invitational on Sept. 9 and 10 for a career best.
Needless to say, both Iowa golf teams could have big springs ahead of them.
