Iowa State men’s golf sits in second place after day one of the Zach Johnson Invitational with a score of 571 (+3) — its best start to a competition placement-wise this season. 

With a score of 140 (-2), Lukas Pany leads the way for the cyclones, putting him at third overall. Luke Gutschewski also played a role in the Cyclone’s success with a score of 141 (-1), placing him at sixth overall. 

Finishing last for the Cyclones today was redshirt senior Nate Vance, who shot a 151(+9), placing him at 35th overall. Vance shot a quadruple bogey at one point in round one, which would be a tone setter on his performance for the rest of the day. 

After a short break last week, the Cyclones have improved from their first two outings and look to continue their success on day two. 

Gutschewski struggles in the second round

Gutschewski continues the impressive start to his season. He finished round one with a score of 66 (-5) and followed it up with a round two score of 75 (+4). 

In his strong start, Gutschewski had five birdies and an eagle in round one, only shooting over par on one hole. But, in round two, he took a slight dip, shooting four bogeys during his first nine holes, but he would then shoot for par or better in seven of his last nine holes. 

Major success in lineup switch

Pany rejoined the lineup and has posted a solid outing so far. He looked a little rough at first, shooting a quadruple bogey on the seventh hole in round one, but fought back, finishing round one stroke under par in round one. He played especially well in round two, shooting for par or better in 13 of 18 holes, including an eagle on hole 15. 

The last time Pany was in the lineup at the Fighting Irish Classic, he finished last among the Cyclones, posting a two-round score of 156.

Freshman ups and downs

Kyo Morishita and Paul Beauvy each made their third consecutive start this season, both of which have had their fair share of uncertainties regarding how they will perform. Beauvy had the better day today, shooting a 142 (E), placing him eighth among all other golfers. 

Morishita would finish the day with a score of 150 (+8), which currently places him at 28th. 

The Cyclones will tee off Tuesday morning for 18 more holes to wrap up the Zach Johnson Invitational.