The University of Iowa men’s golf team will host the 32nd Hawkeye Invitational at Blue Top Ridge in Riverside, Iowa, on April 20 and 21. The tournament features a two-day format with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Central Time each day and includes teams from fourteen schools.
The event is significant as it marks the first time the Hawkeye Invitational will be held at Blue Top Ridge, which was named the top golf course in Iowa for 2026 by IowaGolf.com. The tournament brings together programs such as Drake, Valparaiso, Western Illinois, Missouri State, UMKC, North Dakota State, Air Force, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, DePaul, Omaha and Southern Illinois.
This year’s competition continues a tradition dating back to the inaugural event in 1970. Iowa has won seventeen team titles and crowned sixteen individual champions throughout the history of the invitational. In recent years, the Hawkeyes have claimed three of six possible team championships since 2019 (with no event held in 2020). Last season saw Max Tjoa and Gage Messingham tie for seventh place individually while Noah Kent and Hogan Hansen finished tied for ninth in 2024.
Blue Top Ridge stretches over 7,432 yards as a par-72 course designed by Rees Jones. The course is located fifteen miles south of Iowa City along the floodplain of the Iowa River and features several water hazards.
Ryan Shellberg was named Big Ten Golfer of the Week on April 9 after finishing runner-up at the Calusa Cup with all rounds under par. Junior Max Tjoa began this season with three consecutive under-par finishes including co-medalist honors at the Fighting Irish Classic. Redshirt freshman Grant Gudgel recorded his first career top-10 finish this fall while senior Gage Messingham is out due to injury this spring.
Following this invitational, Iowa will travel to North Plains, Oregon for the Big Ten Championships from May 1–3.
