Iowa State men’s golf endured a tough week in The Hootie at Bulls Bay event. Finishing in a tie for 15th, it’s the Cyclones’ worst finish of the 2021-22 season. 

The Hootie’s been a decent event in the past for Iowa State, as they’ve finished in 10th and sixth in their most recent trips to Awendaw, South Carolina. There are a few things to take away from a tournament to forget for the Cyclones

Slow start

In these tournaments, starting off quickly is virtually a necessity. The Cyclones performed poorly on Day 1 and struggled to bounce back. 

They shot 302 on Sunday, putting them 10 strokes behind everyone else in the field. In tournaments with this level of competition, slow starts makes it nearly impossible to come back and move up the standings in the final two rounds.

In essence, starting well in the final two events is the key for a better finish. The final two takeaways are two improvements that are crucial for them finishing the season on a positive note.

Lack of production beyond Vance

Rickey Costello put in the best round of any Cyclone on the first day. From there on, it was all Nate Vance. Vance finished as the only Cyclone inside the top 65 of the 96 man field.

Lochlan Barker, arguably the most consistent golfer on the team, had his fair share of struggles. From there, Costello shot 77 in each of his final two rounds, moving him down the leaderboard significantly, after an even par opening round.

The remaining trio of Josh Hetherington, Luke Gutschewski and Jake Slocum failed to register a round in which they shot under par. The Cyclones will need more of a group effort moving forward if they want to improve as a team. They still have yet to finish inside the top five in an event this season, so consistency is something to look for moving forward.

Par 4s need work

While the Cyclones didn’t shoot particularly on any of the three variance in holes, Par 4s brought them the most struggles. For the week, they averaged a score of 4.27 on Par 4s, +33 overall. This was the worst in the field by eight strokes, and it’s an area where improvement must be made. 

Their results on those holes significantly hindered the end results in where they finished in the tournament. In comparison, they shot +15 on Par 3s, tied for 11th, and shot under par on Par 5s at -3. 

As mentioned in the takeaways of the third round, the Cyclones have the Wyoming Cowboy Classic coming up, followed by the Hawkeye Invitational to end the regular season. Bouncing back from a disappointing week at The Hootie will be necessary for success in the postseason.