Some of you out there might remember that there was a three-way tie for first after Saturday’s second-round of the Greater Cedar Rapids Open in 2010. Eventual champion Andy Winings, who had fired an 8-under par 64 in Friday’s opening round, came back with a 3-under 69 at Hunters Ridge in the second round and sat at 11-under 133. Along with Winings was P.J. Kolosvary of Florida and Chris Thompson, a former Nationwide Tour player.

Winings hung on Sunday to win the $20,000 winner’s share, but the results weren’t as pleasant for Kolosvary and Thompson. Kolosvary fired a 3-over 75 and finished tied for sixth.

Thompson had an even worse day, shooting a 5-over 77, which included bogeys on 6 and 13, a double bogey on 17 and a bogey on 18. His back nine 40 left him at 6 under for the tournament and tied for 14th.

Both Kolosvary and Thompson are back this season for another try at the GCRO top spot.

Thompson certainly figures to be in the hunt. In only four starts this year on the eGolf Professional Tour, Thompson ranks fourth in money earnings with $55,185. The majority of competitors on that tour, which sports 515 members, have played between 8-10 events.

Thompson, who will tee it up in the Waterloo Open this weekend, pocketed a $35,000 check in April by winning the Columbia Open at Columbia Country Club in Blythe, S.C. Thompson, a 35-year-old father of two from Lawrence, Kan., shot a 23-under-par 264 for the title, beating Canadian Brad Fritsch by two strokes.

Thompson also has two fourth-place finishes on the eGolf Tour. He pocketed $8,400 for fourth at the Donald Ross Championship in May in Southern Pines, N.C., then in May finished fourth again – good for $8,800 – at the River Hills Classic in Lake Wylie, S.C.

Thompson finished 18th on the eGolf Tour money list last year with around $45,000 and a win at the HGM Hotels Classic at Rock Barn in Conover, N.C.

For more on Thompson, who spent two full seasons on the Nationwide Tour (2007, 2008), see the story from his win earlier this year on http://www.golfblogger.co.uk/post/chris-thompson-wins-egolf-tour-2011-columbia-open-championship-9c0.

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.