The Iowa State men’s golf team competed Monday through Wednesday at the Big 12 Championship in Hutchinson, Kansas.

With a challenging course and rough weather conditions, the Cyclones got out to a rough start in the first two rounds. They shot much better in the final two rounds but still finished last out of 10 teams.

Course and weather prove difficult

Prairie Dunes Country Club holds a par-70, 7,068-yard course that was made even more challenging by scattered rain and strong winds.

Oklahoma State was able to win the event with a team score of 9 over par, which goes to show what kind of effect the conditions had. It is no coincidence that every team played their worst two rounds Monday, when winds nearly reached 25 mph.

First-round struggles have been a trend for Iowa State, and the weather gave them no help. The team finished with the third-worst score in the first round and the worst score in the second round.

Unable to capitalize

When the weather cleared up more Tuesday and Wednesday, the Cyclones were unable to take advantage.

Despite improving their round-two score by 16 strokes, Iowa State still finished with the worst score in the third round. The Cyclones went on to have the second-worst score in the fourth and final round.

The team finished three strokes behind ninth-place West Virginia. While anything above that was a long shot, the Cyclones had opportunities to move up from last place.

NCAA Regionals

There is still something to look forward to for Iowa State, as NCAA Regional participants will be announced May 5.

Despite finishing tied for 35th and tied for 39th at the Big 12 Championship, Tripp Kinney and Lachlan Barker have a shot at being individual selections.

Kinney could become the first Cyclone to compete in four NCAA Championships, which would further cement his legacy as one of the best golfers in school history.