Scott Fernandez had the lowest round of any ISU men’s golfer in the final round of the Cyclones’ previous tournament at Ann Arbor. What sparked that round of 69 continued through all three rounds of the VCU Shootout this week.

“I focus on just playing each hole,” Fernandez said. “I forget about the results and just focus on my game and routine.”

Fernandez is a freshman from Granada, Spain, and has only participated in two collegiate golf events. He has seen the most early success so far, shooting scores of 66, 69, and 70 to finish at 205 strokes and earning medalist honors at the VCU Shootout.

“It was great,” said coach Andrew Tank. “He played well in the first two rounds and put himself into position for the final round. He won the event and still could have played better.”

It was a great week of practice for the team in general, and Fernandez definitely benefited from some of the drills that the coaching staff implemented. One of those included hitting the ball at multiple distances while picking a spot to aim to. The goal was to get the ball closest to the pin but not sending it too far left or right.

“Coach Tank followed me through 18 holes at Michigan,” Fernandez said. “I was always hitting straight to the pin which is good sometimes, but not as convenient. It’s what we practiced over the week.”

The key to his success was driving. Fernandez consistently hit the ball on the fairway and that set him up for easier approach shots.

“I needed to keep giving myself birdie opportunities and more chances to make putts,” Fernandez said. “Confidence in my game plan was key.”

Fernandez started off on the sixth hole in his first round and went even par through his first five holes. He then got an eagle on the eleventh hole and three birdies to finish off the back nine. After getting his first bogey on the opening hole in the front nine, he finished off his round with another eagle.

Another eagle was scored at the eleventh hole again in the second round, giving Fernandez a total of three eagles during the tournament. That’s compared to just four bogeys he shot in the entire tournament and nothing higher than that. His experience gained over the summer contributed to his success.

“This summer I played against other European teams,” Fernandez said. “The best six players of each country are there. With that experience, I know what to do and what to expect.”

Fernandez hopes to continue his success in the upcoming tournaments and build even more upon it. He will be in the field for next week’s event, the Rees Jones Invitational at Dafuskie Island, SC.