IU heads to Hawaii for 3-day event

It will be wheels up on Saturday for the IU men’s golf team as it heads more than 4,300 miles west to Princeville, Hawaii, for the Warrior/Wave Invitational.

The tournament will be contested at the Makai Golf Club Nov. 5-7 after Sunday’s practice round. The course is a 7,223-yard, par-72 layout situated on the north shore of the island of Kaua’i.

During the Sunday practice round, the Hoosiers adjusted to conditions they are not used to, especially the grass they will play on.

“There is nothing like it we can simulate here in Bloomington, Ind.,” IU Coach Mike Mayer said. “We practice off bent grass and rye grass, and there is no bent grass or rye grass in Hawaii.”

Mayer said the team’s going to have to adjust and adapt to the situation in Hawaii.
“We try to prepare as much as we can ahead of time, but there is not much you can really do, and the practice round is key,” senior Michael McGee said. “You try to become familiar with the grasses and the strategy for play and try to fit your game to the course.”

The Hoosiers hope to end the fall swing of the golf season with a strong showing after struggling in recent events. To do so, they will have to outplay 14 other teams.

“It is a strong field with a lot of California teams there, along with a mix of other teams from around the United States,” Mayer said. “We are going to have to be ready to play.”

Competing for the Hoosiers are seniors Brant Peaper (1), McGee (2) and Corey Ziedonis (4) and juniors Hugo Menendez (3) and David Mills (5).

“I think every tournament is a reward for players, and Hawaii is no different,” Mayer said. “The players we are taking to Hawaii deserve to go, and if it wasn’t Hawaii and it was down the road in Kentucky, it would probably be the same five players.”

The five will battle together in pursuit of the team crown, and each player will attempt to win the individual title.

The Hoosiers are paired with Pepperdine, UAB and Xavier during today’s opening round. They are set to begin teeing off at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Mayer said starting out strong is key for the Hoosiers.

“We need to get off to a nice start,” he said. “That is what we have not done in the last two tournaments, and that is what we really need to do.”

McGee said the team might have pushed too hard throughout the past few events and said that might have contributed to its struggles.

The tournament is unlike some of the events the Hoosiers have been in this season, as they will play one 18-hole round each of the three days. The schedule will allow for the team to take in some sites during the trip.

Mayer said the purpose of the trip is to compete for a tournament win but that he wants to see his team enjoy the environment after the golfing is completed for the day.

“First and foremost, it is business, and there is no question about that,” Mayer said. “When we get the business taken care of, we are going to make time to do some things we normally would not do.”

He said the non-golf-related activities would be based around a team-building theme, and added trips like this are part of the student-athlete experience.

“It will be difficult to control the excitement level,” McGee said. “Once you get on the first tee that excitement goes away. You can’t be in vacation mode when you are out there. It is still a tournament, and you want to end the fall on a good note.”