Only one golfer in the last 13 years has ever won the prestigious Waterloo Open and then followed that up with a win in the Greater Cedar Rapids Open the following week. That golfer is playing on the PGA Tour right now. Derek Lamely, a two-time GCRO champion, won the 2008 Waterloo Open and then headed down to Marion to complete the sweep.
Ryan Blaum gets his chance this week. The former three-time All-America selection from Duke and NGA/Hooters Tour veteran slipped in a 10-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole Sunday to win the 79th Annual Waterloo Open, sponsored by the Waterloo Jaycees.
Blaum, who has four victories on the National Golf Association Tour since joining it in 2007, earned $60,000 for his Waterloo win. That figure represents one of the largest winning payouts if not the largest for any “mini-tour” event in the country. Only payouts on the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour surpass that.
Blaum, from Coral Gables, Fla., who will play with rookie pro brother Brent at Hunters Ridge Golf Course in Marion beginning Friday, and Trevor Murphy were tied on top in the 36-hole Waterloo event at 14-under-par 130. Blaum shot a 66 in Saturday’s first round and followed that up with a 64 Sunday. After both golfers parred the first two playoff holes at Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course, Blaum rolled in his birdie putt for the win. Blaum, 27, who qualified but missed the cut at the Web.com’s Stadion Classic in Georgia earlier this year, has won more than $10,000 on the NGA/Hooters Tour this year and over $235,000 on that tour since he turned pro.
A total of 16 of the top 31 finishers at Waterloo are headed to the GCRO as of late Sunday. Matt Miller of Bloomington, Ill. tied for fourth with a 133 and 2010 GCRO champ Andy Winings, of Brownsburg, Ind., and Bryan Newman of La Quinta, Calif., tied for sixth, four shots from the top spot. One stroke further back was former Indiana University star Chase Wright, Justin Hueber of Ft. Wayne, Ind., Jon Mansfield of Clearwater, Fla., and former PING Division II All-America selection Seth Fair, also of Brownburg, Ind.
At 8-under-par 136 and in a tie for 22nd were local GCRO favorites Sean McCarty and Bill Hoefle along with Nate Stevenson of Orlando, Fla., and Derek Bohlen of Fountain Hills, Ariz.
GCRO festivities start Wednesday with the first of two pro-ams. Wednesday night is the Pro-Am Dinner and Thursday is the second pro-am. Tournament play begins Friday.
As of late Sunday there were 94 professionals, eight Senior pros and 20 amateurs entered.
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.