Cyclone men’s golf returned Tuesday for a second day of Big 12 Match Play in Hockley, Texas.
Monday marked a look into the lows of the Cyclone squad. To recap, the team took two back-to-back 3-2 losses against TCU and Baylor respectively. The team also managed a third-place finish of four teams within Pool C.
The dark side of a half-and-half season seemed to be creeping up on them through the first day. With consistency lacking and the team unable to answer opposing teams, the Cyclones suffered, coming down from their top-notch form down to their former selves.
Iowa State opened its second day with a matchup against their final in-pool opponent and Big 12 newcomer in UCF.
Back in the fray
To start the second day of match play, the Cyclones decided to put their name back on the table.
The first nine holes were less than magnificent with the Cyclones and Knights in an even battle, but by the end of hole 18, the Cyclone golfers managed to pull out a 3-1-1 victory.
Owen Sawyer, Luke Gutschewski and Dianchao Wu all managed to pull victories, while Zach May finished the morning round tied with his opponent.
This return to form earned the Cyclones second place in Pool C for the morning rounds and gave them three points in their total score. The point total was not enough to pull the team into second place for the entire event, but it was a bounce-back for Iowa State considering how things unfolded on day one.
Out of their league
The final matchup of the day pitted the Cyclones head-to-head with another newcomer to the Big 12, BYU. Beforehand, BYU had managed two ties and one loss through the first three rounds of play.
The Cyclones fell to the Cougars due to a trio of Iowa State golfers falling behind early through the first nine holes. The Cyclones finished their afternoon with a 4-1 finish, dropping the final match of pool play to BYU. Only Wu pulled out a victorious round.
Tough day ahead for the Cyclones
Unfortunately for the Cyclones, the third day is not looking any easier.
Where their prior opponents were randomly decided, their opponents Wednesday were determined by the points they earned within their respective pools. With the performance Iowa State presented against comparable teams Monday and Tuesday, it is unlikely that Wednesday is fated to be anything better.
Their Pool A opponent, Kansas State, finished with zero total points, but their Pool B opponent Houston finished with four, one above the Cyclones. No matter who they face from Pool D, their opponent will have finished three points ahead of them.
The Cyclones finished day two in a less-than-ideal form, which seems to be the theme of the entirety of Big 12 Match Play thus far.
The team will face off with the third-place finisher from Pools A, B and D, Kansas State, Houston and Kansas or West Virginia (who finished in a tie for Pool D) to finish off the tournament and close the fall season.
