With the spring season coming to a close for the ISU men’s golf team, it has its eyes set on finishing strong with a win at the Big 12 Championships in Houston.

The team has been putting it all together lately, and it has shown in its last two tournaments, placing in second at both.

“I feel really good about our preparation,” said coach Andrew Tank. “I think we have continued to improve throughout the spring season, and our performance in Iowa City was really strong.”

After having two tournaments in a row, the team was able to take some time off this past week to relax and get caught up on schoolwork.

“We took a little bit of time off after Iowa City,” Tank said. “Guys have been doing individual practice, and we have really stressed getting caught up and ahead in school work.”

Going into the Big 12 Championships, the five players who will be playing for Iowa State are: senior Nathaniel McCoy, freshman Scott Fernandez, junior Borja Virto, freshman Sam Daley and sophomore Duncan Croudis.

“I really feel like this is going to be one of our best events as a team,” Tank said. “I’m really looking for not just four but all five of our players to contribute, and I believe they can.”

The Big 12 Championships is different than the tournaments Iowa State plays during the year. A normal tournament is only 54 holes, but this tournament is 72.

“This tournament is a four-round tournament, instead of three,” Tank said. “I believe that will play to our advantage because a lot of our players are used to playing in 72-hole events.”

As the only senior on the team, this final shot at winning the Big 12 Championships is one that McCoy does not want to pass up on.

“I am really excited about going into the Big 12 Championships because of how we have been playing,” McCoy said. “Knowing that we really have a chance is just exciting, and for me alone, it is just another step to my ultimate goal and being on the [PGA] Tour.”

The team is looking forward to being able to play against some of the higher ranked Big 12 schools that it has not competed against this year and seeing how it compares and can compete.

Iowa State will be starting off its first round Friday and will conclude on Sunday.