Iowa State women’s golf is now a month into the season, having participated in three events now: the Wolverine Invitational, Schooner Fall Classic and most recently, the Windy City Collegiate outside Chicago on Tuesday.

After the team’s third top-ten finish this fall season, the Cyclones will have to see faster starts and better production further down the roster to see these finishes continue.

Better starts

In all three of the events this season, Iowa State has played significantly better in the second round compared to the other two, specifically in the Wolverine Invitational and the Windy City Collegiate.

The opening-round score has been the worst for the Cyclones, averaging a 300. The final round average score is a little better at 297. Lastly, the second round average score destroys the other two at 287.

Part of this discrepancy in score could be attributed to the Cyclones getting used to the course as the day goes on, as they play the first and second round in the same day.

With that being said, the Cyclones need to start tournaments off on a better note. The average score of 300, which is +20 or +16 depending upon the course, nearly takes them out of contention for a win from the get-go.

Their scores after that are in contention with all of the other teams in the tournament, including some of the nation’s best.

Better results from fourth golfer on down

Even in top-ten finishes, Iowa State has had mixed results thus far as to where the team has found itself on the leaderboard.

With the competition increasing the past two tournaments, the Cyclones’ placements haven’t gone as well. A large part of this has been due to not having great scores out of their fourth golfer.

Taglao Jeeravivitaporn, Warda Amira Rawof and Liyana Durisic have finished in the top half of the field in all three events by finishing inside of the top 40.

The places out of their fourth golfer though have been 52nd, T-54th and 77th. All of those positions are in the bottom half in the fields that possess just over 80 golfers.

The fourth golfer has shot 77.6 per round so far for the Cyclones. That comes out to an overall score of +20 or worse, depending on the course.

Jeeravivitaporn living up to expectations

“I’m excited to see where JJ [Jeeravivitaporn] takes us,” Christie Martens, women’s golf head coach said before the season began. 

Three tournaments in, she’s delivering.

Martens was not only referencing Jeeravivitaporn’s elite level of play but also the senior’s leadership to the team. Nicknamed “JJ” by her teammates, Jeeravivitaporn has finished tied for 11th, tied for seventh and fourth in her three tournaments this season.

She’s gotten progressively better, improving at each event.

On the season, her stroke average sits at 71.7. That number would top Chayanit Wangmahaporn’s single-season Iowa State record for lowest stroke average of 72.9.

That average is a significant upgrade from the 74.28 stroke average of her career before this season.