The Cyclone men’s golf team didn’t start their season the way they expected to, but there was, and frankly still is, plenty of time to redeem themselves before the more meaningful matches commence.

In order to do that, they needed to see some improvement right out of the gate, and it wasn’t long before they were back on the greens. The result is one they want to forget, and there are a multitude of factors that could play into their early struggles.

Failure to capitalize 

The same Cyclones went to Madison and Windon Memorial for their first two invitationals last year, and they found an abundance of success with two top-three finishes. This season has seen the same pattern of travel, but Iowa State has yet to yield similar results.

After a modest eighth place finish at the Badger Invitational, the team expected to bounce back. But after a brutal first day of golfing, a decent final day was not enough to get the Cyclones where they wanted to be, as they finished 10th and shot a collective 24 over par.

While every season is different and Iowa State could’ve just as easily had these results flipped, it’s worth mentioning that so far the rare opportunity of continuity has not paid off for the team. Now, these aren’t Iowa State’s only two invitationals of the year, and there is still plenty of time for the Cyclones to improve.

Second round of golf sets tone for overall score

It seems odd to have two rounds of golf squeezed into one day, but it’s not like the golfers were fighting frigid temperatures or limited daylight. Still, it’s worth pointing out that the second round of 18 was far and away the team’s worst of the two days. It was everyone’s worst round except for Sam Vincent, who had his best (70).

He was the only one to shoot under par; the next best golfer — the workhorse, Tripp Kinney — shot six over. That’s certainly not a score anyone wants, but certainly not for a golfer the team has been able to count on for years and who had a good three days in Wisconsin.

Is it possible that the occurrence of two rounds in one day and only one the next is part of what did the Cyclones in? Definitely. But this hasn’t been the only time it’s happened — and probably won’t be the last this season — so it’s something Iowa State will need to adjust to.

Ricky Costello continues early success

With all the talk of the two seniors Tripp Kinney and Sam Vincent and up-and-coming leader Lachlan Barker, it’s easy to forget that the team has five golfers in competition. It’s worth noting another junior has seen probably the most consistently good play in the young season.

Ricky Costello had two rounds in the Badger Invitational that hovered around or even below par, and saw the same in the Windon Memorial. He had the third and (tied for) second-best scores out of all golfers over the tournament. If the Cyclones can end their struggles in the near future, Ricky Costello is certainly a name that can help them get out of their early season funk.

All of this talk about the team struggling early on in its season clouds the fact that there are still many months until NCAA-wide competition, and while some of those will be spent in negative-degree temperatures and less-than-desirable golf conditions, there’s still plenty of time for Iowa State to get where it wants to be.