After a storied Hawkeye career, former Iowa men’s golfer Alex Schaake recently began his professional career on the newly created Forme Tour.

He made his PGA Tour debut at the 2021 John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois, on July 7-11. At the classic, Schaake hit five-over-par in two rounds of golf, missing the cut.

The Forme Tour is a series of tournaments for professional golfers who have yet to make the Korn Ferry Tour — the top developmental PGA circuit. The top-five point earners on the Former Tour at the end of the summer circuit earn a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“The Forme Tour events feel kind of like a college event,” Schaake said. “Except every single player was the top on their team in college.”

Schaake started his time as a Hawkeye in the 2016-17 season. During his freshman year, he played in three tournaments, averaging 73.38 strokes per 18 holes.

Over the course of his five seasons, Schaake broke multiple Hawkeye records.

He holds three of the top six spots in season scoring averages — Schaake took the top spot in the 2019-20 season averaging 71.00 per 18 holes, third in 2020-21 with 71.19 and sixth in 2018-19 with 71.88.

Schaake is also one of only three Hawkeyes in program history to win the Hawkeye Invitational more than once — in 2019 and 2021.

As a Hawkeye, Schaake received many accolades including multiple All-Big Ten first-team selections, Big Ten Men’s Golf Player of Year in 2019 and 2021, and the Les Bolstad award in 2019 — given to the Big Ten men’s golfer with the lowest seasonal average.

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Schaake graduated from the University of Iowa this past spring. Since then, he has been playing in professional tournaments such as the John Deere Classic and Waterloo Open.

“It was nerve-racking at first,” Schaake said about playing professionally. “But I felt like I belonged out there.”

Schaake has played in three tournaments on the Forme Tour so far. On June 23-26, he played in the L&J Golf Championship at Jennings Mill Country Club — he missed the cut after shooting nine-over-par

At the Auburn University Club Invitational held June 30-July 2, Schaake made the cut and finished the tournament tied for 44th, shooting nine-under-par.

Schaake played in the Bolingbrook Golf Club Invitational in Bolingbrook, Illinois, from July 20-23. Schaake shot a ten-under-par 278 over four rounds and had his highest finish on the tour so far — tying for 24th.

There are still five tournaments left on the circuit — the Birck Boilermaker Classic July 28-31, The Fuzzy Zoeller Classic at Cover Ridge Golf Club Aug. 10-13, the Forme Open at TPC River’s Bend Aug 18-21, the Rolling Green Championship Sept. 1-4, and the Forme Tour Championship, which takes place Sept. 7-10.

Currently, Schaake is sitting at 55th on the Forme Tour with 44 total points. Former Southern Methodist University men’s golfer Mac Meissner holds the lead in the Forme Tour with 546 points.

“I’m going to keep going and grind on the Forme Tour,” Schaake said. “My goal is to get enough points by the end of the summer to get on the Korn Ferry Tour.”