HUTCHINSON, Kan. –The Iowa State men’s golf team shot a final-round 294 in the NCAA Championship at the Prairie Dunes Country Club this afternoon, placing 25th in the stroke play portion of the national tournament. The Cyclones fired rounds of 278-299-294 for a three-round 871 tally.
The top eight teams will advance to the match play portion of the event beginning tomorrow.
ISU’s final round actually began yesterday. Weather delays put a damper on the entire tournament, as a total of 12 hours of weather suspensions was accumulated during the week. Two of ISU’s three rounds were played on two different days.
The multiple stops in action certainly took its toll on the field.
“With all of the delays it really was a test in patience,” Iowa State head coach Andrew Tank said. “More than anything, it was grueling both physically and mentally. It was certainly less than ideal.”
“The weather was actually perfect this morning,” Tank added. “We just made too many mistakes. We played poorly the last two rounds. We had a few bright spots, but overall it was not our best golf.”
Scott Fernandez was the Cyclone leader in the final round with a 1 over 71. Fernandez had five birdies on the day, including three in his last four holes. The All-American finished the tournament in a tie for 82nd at 217 (70-76-71).
It was another outstanding season for the Granada, Spain native. Fernandez ended the year ranked in the top-100 nationally. He also recorded seven top-10 finishes and a 71.79 stroke average, the fourth-best season mark in school history.
Junior Sam Daley was ISU’s top finisher in the NCAA finals (T55) with rounds of 69-71-74=214. Daley raised his game to a new level in 2013-14. The runner-up medalist at the Big 12 Championship, Daley had three top-10 finishes and posted a 72.44 stroke average this season, the seventh-best mark in school history.
Sophomore Collin Foster, who carded a 77 in the final round, tied for 113th at 221 (68-76-77). Foster’s opening-round 68 was the all-time Cyclone low in the NCAA finals and his 11 birdies during the week led all Cyclones.
Freshmen Ruben Sondjaja (73-76-75) and Jack Carter (71-79-74) both tied for 125th at 224. Sondjaja posted one of the greatest rookie seasons in school history, netting four top-10 finishes and averaging 72.83 strokes per round, the second-best freshman mark in school history.
Carter gained valuable experience filling in for Nick Voke, who sat out the postseason after breaking his collar bone. Carter equaled his career low as a Cyclone with a 71 in the first round of the NCAA finals.
Voke will bolster ISU’s lineup next year when he returns from his injury. Voke recorded the best freshman scoring average in school history (72.39) and led the team with eight sub-70 rounds.
Iowa State, which made its first NCAA Championship appearance in 61 years, gained national attention during the week for its outstanding season. The Cyclones finished runner-up five times and return every player on their roster. The future definitely looks bright for Iowa State golf
“I think the opportunity to compete at the NCAA is going to help all of the players get better,” Tank said. “With two juniors, a sophomore and three freshmen experiencing this (NCAA finals), it’s only going to help them all. It was a great way to cap off a really successful season. We are a pretty young team. To have them get that experience is something to build on.”
Team Scores – Stroke Play
1. Stanford 281-267-279=827
2. Alabama 274-278-284=836
3. LSU 279-278-279=836
4, Oklahoma State 277-279-284=840
5, Georgia Tech 277-282-=841
6. UCLA 279-284-281=844
7, SMU 275-285-285=845
Illinois 285-280-280=845
9. South Carolina 272-292-282=846
10. Houston 284-285-279=848
11. California 279-289-282=850
Georgia 286-287-277=850
13. Texas 289-278-284=851
14. Oregon 284-297-271=852
15. Washington 279-287-287=853
16. Vanderbilt 281-285-288=854
Oklahoma 273-287-294=854
18. Kentucky 288-286-283=857
Arkansas 292-286-279=857
20. Missouri 283-289-287=859
21. UAB 282-285-295=862
22. Georgia State 285-290-288=863
23. Auburn 274-292-300=866
24. Florida State 286-301-283=870
25. Iowa State 278-299-294=871
26. Kennesaw State 294-294-284=872
27. Purdue 286-289-298=873
28. Virginia Tech 294-301-281=876
29. Texas A&M 296-288-297=881
30. USC 296-298-295=889
Iowa State Scores
T55. Sam Daley 69-71-74=214
T82. Scott Fernandez 70-76-71=217
T113. Collin Foster 68-76-77=221
T125. Ruben Sondjaja 73-76-75=224
T125. Jack Carter 71-79-74=224
Top Individuals
1. Ollie Schniederjans, Georgia Tech 71-65-68=204
Cameron Wilson, Stanford 71-63-70=204
