Let’s see. We have 2015 TrueNorth Greater Cedar Rapids Open champ Paul Apyan in the field. We have late entry Andy Winings, the 2010 champ, in the field. We have Derek Lamely, a two-time GCRO champ who has won on the PGAS Tour in the field. And we have another late entry, Gary Hallberg, a three-time PGA and one-time PGA Champions Tour winner in the field.
So, after one round of the TrueNorth GCRO, presented by Granite City Food & Brewery, who is in the lead?
Ryan Argotsinger. Who? Ryan Argotsinger!
The former University of Northern Iowa golfer, playing in just his third professional event, shot a sparkling 9-under-par 63 Friday morning and holds a three-shot lead over three other golfers heading into Saturday’s Second round.
“The round was great, I hit it great and once I birdied 9 through 12, I was just trying to get it as low as possible” said Argotsinger, a graduate of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s and a Masters, where he transferred after his freshman year at UNI.
“ I made a great par save from the bunker on 14. I was just trying to keep momentum going.”
He did. Argotsinger finished with 10 birdies and a bogey. Wes Gosselin, Emerson Newsome and David Rose all are three shots back at 6-under 66. Five other golfers, including Chris Black of Independence, IA, are another shot back.
Gosselin is another rookie pro who just graduated from the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga and tied for 48th last week in Waterloo.
Newsome went to the University of Cincinnati and is a native of Clinton, IA. He had nine birdies and tree bogeys.
Rose, who missed the cut here in 2015 and 2014, is from Vancouver, British Columbia and lives in Scottsdale, AZ.
An even 50 players broke par in Friday’s first round.
That includes Apyan, Lamely and Winings, all at 2-under.
Second-round action begins at 7:15 a.m. Friday. There will be a cut after Friday’s play.
Scott Pieri (Ft. Wayne, IN) shot a 7-under 65 and leads the Senior Division by three shots over Clay Devers (Shawnee Mission, KS).
William Bruyeres leads the Amateur Division by three shots over past champion Kevin Ault.
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