2008-09 Men's Golf Season Review

AMES, Iowa ? The 2008-09 men's golf team showed some glimpses of what could be an outstanding team for the future.

Newcomers Tom Lathrop, Nate McCoy and Michael Wuertz all made contributions to the team throughout the season with each earning at least one top-10 finish. Mixed in with returners Ben Herrera and Nathan Leary, the Cyclones were able to take some teams by surprise.

ISU came out strong to finish the fall season, shooting its lowest 18-hole round as a team (282) in the final round of the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate. ISU matched that mark twice again in the spring at the Desert Shootout where they shot rounds of 287-282-282 to notch the school's third lowest 54-hole score.

Herrera led the team in stroke average (73.27) and claimed two top-10 finishes during the season, including the best finish of his career (T3rd) at the Mizzou Tiger Intercollegiate. Herrera was nearly unstoppable in April, placing within the top 15 in three straight tournaments and finishing the month with a .760 winning percentage over individuals.

McCoy finished right behind Herrera in stroke average (73.83) and overtook former golfer Chris Baker's mark as the best average for a Cyclone rookie. McCoy played some of his best golf at the Desert Shootout, firing his season-low 211 and finishing in the top 20.

Lathrop showed the most drastic improvement from the fall to the spring. The Nashville native collected back-to-back top-10 finishes in the spring and was the only Cyclone this season to card consecutive sub-70 rounds. Lathrop also garnered first-team Academic All-Big 12 honors.

In its last tournament of the season, ISU was led by Leary at the Big 12 Championships. Leary fired rounds of 76-73-76-76 and finished in the top 30 for the Cyclones. Leary also fired a career low-18 of 69 at the Herb Wimberly Collegiate and a career low-54 218 at the Desert Shootout.

Iowa State will return every golfer from its 2008-09 squad for next season.

Players Mentioned

Chris Baker

Ben Herrera

Ben Herrera

Tom Lathrop

Tom Lathrop

Nathan Leary

Nathan Leary

Nate McCoy

Michael Wuertz

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics