The Iowa men’s golf team opened up their 2024-25 campaign on Sept 8-9 in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the annual Gopher Invitational.
The 15-team event was hosted by Big Ten rival Minnesota and featured Iowa State, Nebraska, and Rutgers as other competitors.
The new-look Iowa roster showcased their new dynamic, ending the event in fourth place.
The Hawkeyes ended the first day of play in first place with a combined score of 571, but they couldn’t keep up during the second day of play and dropped three spots. Iowa earned a total invitational score of 878 – good for 16 strokes over par.
Third-year Northern Colorado transfer Gage Messingham led the Hawkeyes with a score of one over par to finish in ninth place. Messingham earned Big Sky Golfer of the Year honors during his freshman campaign with the Bears, and looks to provide more depth on this roster.
Additionally, second-year Max Tjoa tied for 17th, graduate transfer Josh Lundmark finished in 47th, and first-year Chance Rinkol placed 62nd in his college debut.
Iowa State took home the team trophy with a combined three-round score of 860 – eight strokes over-par, narrowly edging out second-place Minnesota.
Rudy Sautron of Nebraska claimed the individual title with a score of 208 – five strokes under par and only a single stroke ahead of Rutgers’ Noah Kumar.
Women struggle in Madison
The women’s team fought through some tough competition at the Badger Invitational from Sept 8-10th, earning a 10th place finish out of 13 teams.
The event was hosted by conference rival Wisconsin and featured the likes of Nebraska, Rutgers, South Dakota State, and Yale competing in the invitational.
The Hawkeyes struggled throughout the event and returned to Iowa City with a disappointing tenth place finish.
After the second round of play, fourth-year Paula Miranda and second-year Ximena Benites were tied for 15th place. Miranda, who placed first in the Iowa Women’s Amateur over the summer, is Iowa’s only senior this year.
Following the final round, Miranda and Benites tied for 20th, both scoring nine-over par. Third-year Loyola transfer Adie Maki also tied for 20th as an individual competitor.
Additionally, second-year Maura Peters tied for 39th place, third-year Kaitlyn Hanna tied for 42nd, and third-year Riley Lewis tied for 50th.
Delaware took home the trophy with a total event score of 886 – 22 strokes over par and three strokes ahead of second place Sam Houston State. Grace Jin of Sam Houston State claimed the individual crown with a total score of 212.
Up next
The men’s team will return to action on Sept 22-23 for the Purdue Fall Invitational in West Lafayette, Indiana. The women’s team will also have a few weeks off before playing in the Cavalier Invitational in Charlottesville, Virginia, from Sept 23- 24.