Iowa men’s and women’s golf teams set for third tournament of the year

The teams will compete on opposite sides of the country this week, with the men traveling to Georgia and the women to Arizona.

Hannah Kinson

Gonzalo Leal watches the ball after driving it during a golf invitational at Finkbine Golf Course on Saturday, April 20, 2019. Iowa came in first with a score of 593 against 12 other teams.

Chris Werner, Sports Reporter


Iowa men’s and women’s golf teams will compete this week, with the men traveling to the Spartan Collegiate in Sea Island, Georgia, and the women competing at the Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, Arizona.

The Spartan Invitational will be contested on the Plantation Course at Sea Island Resort and the Wildcat Invitational at Sewailo Golf Club.

Each tournament will begin Monday and will consist of three rounds over two days as both teams will play 36 holes Monday. Shotgun starts will begin the action each morning.

The women’s team last played at the Wildcat invitational two seasons ago. Iowa finished that tournament in 16th place of 17 teams.

But the Hawkeyes newer talent has the team poised for a better finish this week.

In its most recent event, Iowa posted a team total of 895 (+11) and finished fourth at the Rebel Beach Invite in mid-February. The Hawkeyes turned in historic performances individually and as a team.

In the tournament’s second round, sophomore Lea Zeitler’s six-under-par 66 set a new school record for the lowest individual round and the team’s total of four-under-par 284 was the second-lowest team round, second in Iowa women’s golf history.

Zeitler finished that tournament in second place while freshman Klara Wildhaber posted a top-5 finish, tying for fifth place in just her second collegiate tournament. Sophomore Morgan Goldstein also finished in the top 20. Iowa’s team finished in fourth place.

“This whole group is gaining a lot of confidence and really starting to believe in each other and themselves,” head women’s golf coach at Iowa Megan Menzel said. “They’re really starting to understand, ‘Wow, we could be really good.’”

Last season, host Arizona won the Wildcat Invitational after Arizona State took the title in 2019.

RELATED: Iowa women’s golf’s Zetiler makes history

On the men’s side, junior Gonzalo Leal Montero will lead the Hawkeyes this week after he received individual recognition last week.

After posting his third career individual top-ten as a Hawkeye in Iowa’s last tournament, he climbed to No. 18 in the March 2 GolfStat men’s individual Division I individual rankings. He is the third highest-ranked Big Ten player.

Leal Montero finished at seven-under-par good for a tie for eighth place at the Kiawah Invitational. The Hawkeyes finished in a tie for fifth place as a team.

Senior Benton Weinberg and sophomore Mac McClear were next best for the Hawkeyes, tying for 23rd place.

Weinberg, McClear, and senior Alex Schaake each fired an under-par round while Leal Montero posted red numbers in all three rounds.

To open the season, the men’s team posted a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Match Play Championships — the Hawkeyes best finish ever.

The Spartan Collegiate team field includes fellow Big Ten schools Michigan State, Indiana, Rutgers, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Northwestern. Iowa State will also be there.

Iowa was the top Big Ten team at the Kiawah Invitational, finishing ahead of Purdue, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Michigan State, and Maryland.

It will be Iowa’s first time at Spartan Collegiate.

This week’s tournaments can be tracked live at golfstat.com.