Iowa golf programs struggle on the road

The Hawkeyes’ women’s team finished the Dick McGuire Invitational in 14th place while the men’s earned 13th at the Gopher Invitational.

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Joseph Cress

Iowa head coach Tyler Stith grabs a flag out of the 18th hole during a tournament at the Donald Ross Course at the Cedar Rapids Country Club in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017.

Chris Werner, Sports Reporter


Iowa men’s and women’s golf hit the road for fall tournament play this week.

The Hawkeye men traveled to Independence, Minnesota, for their second fall test of the season at the Gopher Invitational while the women headed south to New Mexico for the Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque.

And each team left something to be desired.

The Hawkeye men finished 13th out of 14 teams in the Gopher Invitational, carding a three-round team score of 32-over-par 884.

The women tied for 14th out of 16 teams at the Dick McGuire Invitational, with a three-round team total of 45-over-par 897.

Both Hawkeye head coaches had connections to this week’s venues as well.

Iowa men’s golf head coach Tyler Stith was an assistant coach at Minnesota from 2012-14 before arriving at Iowa. His Gopher teams often played at Windsong Farm Golf Club — the site for the Gopher Invitational.

Megan Menzel, the Hawkeye women’s coach, competed at University of New Mexico from 1993-97 — this week’s event was played at the Lobos’ home course.

On the player side, junior women’s golfer Jacque Galloway hails from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and had played the Championship Course at the University of New Mexico approximately 30 times before the Dick McGuire Invitational.

Windsong Farm Golf Club is Hawkeye men’s golfer Ian Meyer’s home course. Meyer, a freshman from Deephaven, Minnesota, played countless rounds at Windsong.

Galloway turned in a three-round total of 19-over-par 235 to finish in a tie for 84th this week

RELATED: Iowa women’s golf to open season at Dick McGuire Invitational

Meyer, on the other hand, paced Iowa’s players carding a three-round total of 219 — good for a tie for 35th overall at six-over-par.

Meyer sat at even-par through the first two rounds before a closing 77 on Monday.

Stith stressed the opportunity for improvement the Hawkeyes will have as they will take a two-week competition hiatus before their next event.

“Clearly our performance is short of what we expect as a team,” Stith said in a release. “We got off to a decent start but dropped far too many shots on the back nine. We had some good individual moments the first two events, but we need much more consistency. We will take the time off to address these areas and prepare for the Warren Course [at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Classic].”

Fellow Hawkeye freshman Paula Miranda led the women’s team in her first event as a Hawkeye. She posted identical scores of 2-over-par 74 in the first two rounds before firing a 73 on the final day of the tournament.

Miranda tallied six birdies, eight bogies, and one double bogey in her Hawkeye debut.

“It was good for our team to travel together and to face tough competition,” Menzel said in a release. “Paula’s first tournament was solid and all the players had some solid stretches. We are eager to tee it up again this weekend in Madison.”

The women’s team will partake in the Badger Invitational in Madison Sept. 19-21, while the Hawkeye men will compete in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Classic in South Bend, Indiana, Oct. 4-5.