The following names might sound and look familiar to those that follow the TrueNorth Greater Cedar Rapids Open, presented by UFG Insurance:
Nate Yankovich
Brant Peaper
Chris Gilman
Brian Bullington
Dan Woltman
Michael Davan
Kevin Flack
They should. All seven were the top money-winners from the 2018 GCRO. All seven are back for more.
Led by defending champion Nate Yankovich, most if not all seven of these gentlemen figure to be at or near the top of the leaderboard when the 21stannual GCRO ends Saturday at Hunters Ridge Golf Course in Marion.
But there’s plenty of golf to play before then and a host of other golfers who could figure prominently in the outcome and the battle for the $30,000 first-place prize and the Bob Brooks-Sam Farner TrueNorth Greater Cedar Rapids Open Memorial Trophy.
Yankovich, who beat Peaper in a one-hole playoff for the title, called last year’s win huge.
“Winning the tournament meant so much to me,” said Yankovich, from Blacklick, OH. “Obviously, the money helped me a ton in keeping my dream alive, but it really boosted my confidence.
“There was a time last summer when I thought to myself, ‘Is this really what I should be doing?’ Winning the GCRO gave me that mental boost, and truly believe that I can fulfill my dream.
Winning the event the way that I did was awesome. My goal going into the final round was to try and get to solo second, because I thought the lead was going to be out of reach. I took care of what I needed to do, and some unfortunate events happened with Brant, which gave me the opportunity to win the event. I was very happy to capitalize on that wonderful opportunity in the playoff.”
Peaper (Tequesta, FL) had a four-stroke lead with three holes to lead but squandered it and lost the playoff. The 29-year-old is a veteran of 29 Mackenzie Tour (PGA Canada) events and three Korn Ferry Tour events (formerly Web.com) and was T46 last weekend in the Waterloo Open.
Yankovich did not play in Waterloo Open because he had qualified for a Mackenzie Tour event in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He missed making the cut by one stroke.
Eight of the top 16 money-winners from Waterloo stayed the extra week in Eastern Iowa to play in the GCRO. Waterloo champ Chandler Blanchet was entered to play at Hunters Ridge but withdrew earlier this week.
Among those scheduled to play here is Ryan Cole (Mount Airy, MD), who finished fourth and earned $9,000 in Waterloo. Broc Everett (West Des Moines, IA), 2016 GCRO champ Seth Fair (Whitestown, IN) and Matt Picanso (Vista, CA) all tied for fifth at Waterloo and are in the field. Dan Woltman (Beaver Dam, WI) was T9 at Waterloo last week and played very well here last year in finishing T4 with Bullington (Frankfort, IL), another Iowa grad. Bullington was the first-round leader at Hunters last year.
Piri Borja (Coral Springs, FL), Richard Schembechler (Memphis, TN) and Jeff Berkshire (Scottsdale, AZ) all were T13 at Waterloo. Schembechler won the 2018 Waterloo Open and the $50,000 first-place prize.
Fair was in contention several times at the GCRO before breaking through in 2016. The likeable 32-year-old is a veteran of 65 total Korn Ferry (formerly Web.com), PGA LatinoAmerica and Mackenzie tour events. He is still carrying his dream of making the PGA.
“I think the reason I keep going is I love to play competitive golf,” said Fair in an email. “Everyone has highs and lows during their career. The great thing about golf is one or two great weeks can change your life.
“I had a wrist injury in ‘17 that I took a medical for six months so in ‘18 on the Web it took me awhile to get the game together and I ultimately lost my card. On the PGA (LatinoAmerica) this year I’ve played pretty consistent so far this year but nothing special. I think being healthy and some positive changes I’ve made in my swing have helped.”
Gilman, who was T22 at Waterloo, finished one shot out of the playoff here last year and was solo third. He is a veteran of 57 Korn Ferry, Mackenzie and LatinoAmerica events.
Davan (Zionsville, IN), who was runner-up here in 2017 and also has a T16 and a solo sixth, is a veteran of 50 Korn Ferry and LatinoAmerica events and qualified for the 2015 U.S. Open. He missed the cut by one stroke last week at Waterloo, going 75-65.
And local favorite and 2009 GCRO champ Sean McCarty, the head pro at Brown Deer Golf Course in Coralville, is back. When healthy, McCarty is always a threat here. He has five Top 20s at Hunters Ridge including a T15 last year. He has also finished fourth in 2013, T16 in 2012 and T20 in 2010.
First round play begins at 7 a.m. Thursday and continues with the second round on Friday. After a cut, the final round will be held Saturday with the leaders going off at approximately 11 a.m. The awards ceremony is set to begin about 4 p.m.
Admission is free all weekend.