The Iowa men’s golf team participated in the Duck Invitational in Eugene, Oregon, on March 23-24, finishing the tournament ninth overall with a total team score of 29-over-par.
The Hawkeyes opened up play on Monday with an 18-over-par in round one before coming back and ending round two with a one-over-par team score. All five Hawkeyes greatly improved their scores from round one to the end of round two.
At the end of the day on Monday, sophomore Ryan Shellberg led Iowa with a one-over-par through 36 holes and tied for 14th place. He opened with a 72 in round one and followed with an even-par 71 in round two.
Grant Gudgel, a redshirt sophomore, was tied for 19th at two-over-par after finishing with a 74 and 70. Gudgel’s second round featured a birdie on the back nine.
Redshirt freshman Jack McCarty sat at eight-over-par for the tournament, with a 78 in round one before improving to a 72 in round two. Junior Max Tjoa was at nine-over through two rounds, shooting a 79 and a 72.
Bennett Warren, competing in his first year as a Hawkeye, was at 13-over following scores of 78 and 77. Chance Rinkol, a sophomore, competed individually and stood at eight-over with rounds of 74 and 76.
On Tuesday, the Hawkeyes finished with a team score of 10-over-par to close the tournament at 29-over.
“The guys grinded and battled back after a disappointing first round. Yesterday’s second round was the second-best in the field and moved us up quite a bit. We started strong today, turned with three guys under par, but we gave them back,” head coach Tyler Stith told Hawkeye Sports. “We missed an opportunity to catch a few more teams, but happy how we fought back.”
Shellberg finished 18th overall, marking his highest career finish. He posted a third-round score of 74 to finish at four-over, leading the team. He has now placed in the top 25 in all tournaments this spring.
“It was another solid week for Ryan. He didn’t have his best ball-striking round, but he managed his game well. He continues to learn and get better each tournament,” Stith said.
McCarty shone in the final round. McCarty, hailing from Solon, Iowa, led the Hawkeyes through the third round, shooting a two-under-par 69 to earn his first top-25 finish. He had six birdies, with three on the front nine and three on the back.
“I’m really happy for Jack,” Stith said. “He was in total control of his game today. He hit it well, but when he was out of position, he played smart. He should be very proud of his performance.”
Gudgel finished with a 77 in the final round, ending the tournament at eight-over and placing 32nd. Tjoa ended with a 74 to finish at 12-over. Warren shot a 77 in the third round, finishing at 19-over. Rinkol, who competed individually, shot a 79 in the final round to finish at 16-over.
Illinois finished the Duck Invitational in first, closing the tournament at five-over-par. The host team, Oregon, finished in second, shooting 15-over.
Up Next
Iowa will host the Calusa Cup in Naples, Florida, on Sunday, April 5, through Tuesday, April 7.