One week removed from having its spring season opener canceled due to weather, the ISU men’s golf team will have its first taste of competition at the Roadrunner Intercollegiate starting Monday in San Antonio.

Heavy rain and lightning forced the cancellation of the Beau Chene Collegiate Classic in New Orleans last week. Though the tournament was canceled, the team was able to take advantage of its time down south.

The Cyclones were able to play practice rounds on Saturday and Sunday before the tournament and were also able to use the practice facilities, giving them a chance to work the kinks out of their games.

“[The trip] was good and bad,” ISU head coach Jay Horton said. “I wanted the competition, everyone wanted to get down there and see how we were [playing].

“[But] we did get the opportunity to get out of here and play some golf. Mother Nature took care of the competition, but we were able to get in three good days of practice.”

The practice allowed the Cyclones to work on their whole games and also gave them a chance to get used to some of the rigors of the golf season.

“It’s valuable to be able to hit balls off of good turf and, more than anything, to just play,” Horton said. “One thing we can’t simulate [in Ames during the winter] is putting a bag on your shoulder and carrying it and walking 18 holes.

“Getting all the shots around the greens and just being on the golf course as far as hitting balls, that comes back quick and putting comes back. Just the sheer fatigue of carrying that weight on your shoulders for four hours wears you down a little bit.”

The Cyclones are hoping the extra practice will pay off when they begin play Monday. The Roadrunner Intercollegiate has a strong field and is played on a course that is a challenge to the best.

“Those three days of practice we got will help us here in San Antonio,” Horton said.

The PGA Tour has held tournaments at Oak Hills Golf Club, the site of this week’s tournament, including the season-ending tour championship.

“It’s a good field,” Horton said. “We’ve gone down to this tournament every year since I got here. It’s a great golf course.”

Baylor, Kansas, Missouri and Wichita State are all a part of the Cyclones’ district and will all be in attendance at the Roadrunner.