The Cyclone men’s golf team looked to bounce back in South Bend after a disappointing first two invitationals, but after the first day of play, they find themselves in a familiar place; near the bottom of the leaderboard.

There was a lot of competition, and Iowa State knew they would have to step up their game in order to get back on track. So far, it looks as though they still have some things to figure out.

The Cyclones finished the day in 12th place out of 14, with a collective score of 16 strokes over par. The first round was particularly troublesome for the team, shooting 19 over. The second round provided some promise, as the team shot 3 over. 

As far as individual scores are concerned, a familiar face is on top for the team — senior Tripp Kinney, with a collective 1 under. That puts him at T-13th on the individual leaderboard. Lachlan Barker shot an even over the course of the 36 holes, good for T-18th.

Other than those two in the Top-20, it was certainly a forgettable day for the rest of the Cyclone golfers. Senior Sam Vincent shot an 8 over, Frank Lindwall shot a 10 over, and Ricky Costello had an unpredictable low point in his season so far, shooting 14 over. That puts them all outside the Top 50, and they will all look to have a better final 18 holes.

Competing individually, Jackson Kalz shot a 28 over, continuing his early season struggles.

The team will look to make the competition interesting on the final 18 of the Fighting Irish Classic tomorrow, and sharpen up its game before things get very competitive at Big 12 Match Play next weekend in Houston, Texas.