Defending champ ties for second in Dakotas Tour event, eyes spot in John Deere
Defending Greater Cedar Rapids Open Champion Brock Mulder is getting back into the swing of things and as far as he’s concerned, there’s no looking back.
The former Waterloo West High School star, who now resides in Dallas, Texas, is trying to put some early-season back problems behind him as he prepares for the rest of his summer season. He hurt his back in March in Arizona and didn’t play any golf for about a month. Instead, he returned to Dallas and worked with his trainer.
“I did a bunch of rehab and now I’m just trying to put things together again,” said Mulder. “It’s been a little frustrating that I can’t seem to stay healthy, but I really think I am right now and I’m looking forward to coming back and getting some competitive rounds in and just playing some golf. I’ve missed it.”
If this past weekend was any indication, Mulder is getting “back” on track. Playing in the 36-hole Westward Ho Tournament in Sioux Falls, S. D., a Dakotas Tour stop, Mulder was on fire in Sunday’s second and final round.
He fired an 8-under-par 64 with a round that included nine birdies and one bogey. His round rocketed him from a tie for 22nd after Saturday’s opening-round even-par 72 to a tie for second in the tournament. Klinton Krieger from Wyoming tied Mulder for low round of the tournament and was the winner by two shots over Mulder and two others.
“Yesterday was a good round of golf,” Mulder said Monday on his way back to Waterloo, where he will be staying with his mom, Kem, over the next few weeks. “My last five holes I actually had really makeable birdie putts but I lipped them all out. That means I’m rolling them well, just none (of those last five) went in.
“I actually played almost as well the day before, but I couldn’t make anything, not a single putt,” he continued. “I just happened to make a few more yesterday, which was great.”
Mulder set the Hunters Ridge Golf Course competitive record last year on his way to the championship, shooting an 11-under-par 61 in the first round. His two-round, 36-hole total of 15-under 129 was good for a four-shot victory over Chris Thompson of Lawrence, Kan., and first-month pro Tom Bliefnick of Decatur, Ill. The tournament was shortened to 36 holes for the first time in its 13-year history due to inclement weather.
Except for U.S. Open qualifying in May, Mulder recently played his first competitive rounds of 2012 on the Adams Golf Tour. He finished ninth last month at the Colbert Charity Classic in Manhattan, Kan., where he earned $1,700, and he tied for 11th in the Northwest Arkansas Open earlier in June, which earned him $1,300.
On Thursday, Mulder will play in the John Deere Classic pre-qualifier in Silvas, Ill. If he qualifies, he moves on to the general Monday qualifier looking for a spot in the tournament, to be held July 12-15 in Silvas.
From there, it’s on to the Waterloo Open and the GCRO. And, given his effort on Sunday, Mulder doesn’t plan on backing down from anything.
Don Wojciechowski resides in the Hunters Ridge Golf Course community and plays the course on a regular basis. He’s a former sports editor for a suburban Chicago daily newspaper and an avid golf fan.