Iowa State men’s golf returned Wednesday for a third and final day of Big 12 Match Play in Hockley, Texas. The third day was the most unique of Match Play as the Cyclones faced off with a corresponding team to determine their final placing.
The day opened on a bit of a dark tone as Iowa State was only eligible to finish in 11th or 12th place, far from where it would have liked to sit coming in. The Cyclones were matched up with Kansas State University.
Regarding total points, Kansas State was the lowest-ranking team in the Big 12, but because of the uneven pools, West Virginia, who finished with six points, was knocked into the match-up for 13th and 14th place.
The slightly more favorable matchup proved to be a better path as the Cyclones and Wildcats managed to finish in a tie.
A history of struggles in Match Play
Big 12 Match Play was a dark period for junior Luke Gutschewski, who was the consensus best player on the team prior. Gutschewski also struggled a bit in the 2022 Big 12 Match Play.
Gutschewski has been crucial to the success of the Cyclones in both of their wins, so it was expected that he would bring a better performance. All the same, he only pulled out two wins throughout his five matchups. Gutschewski never held a lead Wednesday, which spelled disaster for his matchup and his third loss in three days.
The performance did not meet the expectations of the Cyclones, as nobody on the team delivered their best performance.
Tough Big 12
Big 12 Match Play put the Cyclones on blast in front of the entire conference. Pool C was a tough group to be placed in, but it is not beyond speculation to assume that the Cyclones would have suffered the fate if they had been locked in any of the other three pools.
The Cyclones got outmatched, but it is possible that they would have been outplayed by a majority of the other 13 teams present in Hockley, Texas.
Their best performance came Wednesday against Kansas State. The battle for 11th and 12th was significant for the Cyclones in terms of placement. The Cyclones failed to secure a victory against the Wildcats and ended with a tie.
Inconsistency kills
This season has been filled with ups and downs for the Cyclones so far. They opened on a big win and got another in quick succession, but their weaknesses were highlighted among their two losses and then put under the microscope in Hockley.
A failure to maintain any sense of consistency during the season and arguably during any tournament period in the fall season ultimately resulted in an overall interesting half of the season.
The Cyclones managed a win, then dropped the second tournament and repeated the process with the final two. Sports are typically a measure of momentum, and they maintained none throughout the whole season, which ultimately proved to be their Achilles’ heel.
If there is any hope of the Cyclones delivering a successful spring season, they must address their consistency in their off time.
The end of the round Wednesday coincided with the end of the fall golf season for the Cyclones. They will return to play on Jan. 29 at the National Invitational Tournament in Tucson, Arizona, to open their spring season.
