The Miami University men’s golf team will be back in action this weekend at The Hawkeye Invitational, as they are scheduled to play three rounds Saturday and Sunday.

The RedHawks, riding a fourth place finish they garnered this past weekend at The Rutherford, are hopeful for the upcoming tournament.

Head Coach Zac Zedrick is optimistic heading into The Hawkeye Invitational. Looking back at his team’s progress in his first year as head coach, he expressed how pleased he is with where they are at this point in the season and what the team stands for.

“It’s a completely different team,” Zedrick said. “The transition with a new coach is always difficult … now there’s understanding and belief in what this program represents. When you truly believe in the culture you’re living in it affects the way you approach every day.”

Junior Ben Peacock said he believes the team is on the right track as well, and the best way to get to where they want to be is through practice, preparation and rest.

“We each have our own things that we need to work on,” Peacock said. “For me, I have a few things I want to work on, but mainly I want to rest and do my schoolwork.”

Peacock is coming off of a ninth-place finish last weekend and he plans on spending time around the green and improving his short game.

“I’m going to keep targeting the short game,” Peacock said. “Conditions usually aren’t that great [this time of year] and you’ll at some point find yourself scrambling to try to save par … the biggest thing is to be ready for whatever.”

Junior Brett Tomfohrde also said he wants to work his putter and says he is preparing for the upcoming tournament the same way.

“I think we’re just going to do the same prep we usually do,” Tomfohrde said. “We’ll have an emphasis on the short game; there’s some things we can work on.”

The two juniors are not the only ones boasting solid scores and great play for the RedHawks. As of late, freshman Luke Shaughnessy’s play has been spectacular. Two weeks ago at the Florida Atlantic University Spring Break Classic he had the lowest round a Miami golfer has had this year, shooting a 67. And this past weekend he tied with Peacock for ninth place, finishing at 14-over par. Coach Zedrick has taken notice.

“How he’s approached everything, school, golf, it’s been a change for the positive,” Zedrick said. “He’s treating everyday with respect, with a beginner’s mind – someone who wants to learn and is willing to learn. He’s much more consistent and he showed that this weekend.”

As the RedHawks get ready to pack up for The Hawkeye Invitational, Zedrick and the team are excited for what the rest of the season will bring.

“There’s room for growth still, but we’re improving a little bit each tournament,” Zedrick said.

With a top five finish at The Rutherford, Miami looks to continue its success this weekend in Iowa City, playing 54 holes in two days.