The Cyclone men’s golf team is coming up on halfway into the fall stretch, and they have been rolling with momentum.

Although the team has finished 11th and ninth in its first two meets, the team isn’t as worried about overall finishes, but signs of individual positives and those positives are everywhere.

“We’ve got three players that have finished in the top 10 in only our first two meets, and as a coaching staff, we feel great about that,” said coach Andrew Tank. “Golf is an individual sport, and we’re playing it in a team environment. The bottom line is that as coaches we’re looking at the individual players and figuring out how we can help them, and that way our scores will get better.”

Even the players who don’t have their game clicking yet should feel confident. Practice being as competitive as it is, everyone is working to earn a spot.

“I know that the other guys should feel good knowing that they’re competing against some of the best competition in the country every day in practice,” Tank said. “Especially with Nate just winning a tournament, they should know that playing at that top level is within reach.”

Still in the first part of the season, adjustments are a regular part of the golf year. Tank and assistant Patrick Datz have decided to make a lineup adjustment for the D.A. Weibring Invitational.

Sophomore Borja Virto will be breaking into the lineup in place of senior Nathan Leary.

The coaches have seen Leary struggle in the last two rounds at Wolf Run and altogether at the VCU Shootout, so they think it’s a good time to give Virto an opportunity.

“Nate has struggled with his putting this past week,” Tank said, “And I really want him to focus on working through that.”

Like many non-residents unaccustomed to Iowa winters, Virto came to Iowa State in January from Spain, and it was a tough adjustment.

“I think the snow, the cold, and everything with that proved to be a hard transition for him,” Tank said. “He’s got a tremendous international golf resume so we’re going to see what he can do this week.”

Tank and Datz have brought in an idea of not having a captain, and so far it has proved to be a great idea.

Both meets have created different results, and with this set up no player has the pressure on them to perform as the number one golfer, and can focus on helping the team the best that he can.

As a team, the bond between player and coach has grown stronger as well.

“Being young coaches, I think it helps us,” Tank said. “I think it helps the overall dialogue that we have as a team. You’ve got to have that comfort level with the players in order for them to open up and let us help them, and I think that’s what we have here.”

The Cyclones are traveling to Normal, Ill., Saturday to participate in the D.A. Weibring Invitational.