Maybe it was the Starlite Lounge Super Cheeseburger. Maybe it was just good golf.
Brant Peaper (Jupiter, FL) fired an 8-under 64 Friday and takes a two-stroke lead over a loaded field into Saturday’s final round of the 20thannual TrueNorth Greater Cedar Rapids Open, presented by Granite City Food & Brewery.
The Indiana University grad had nine birdies – including a string of five in a row – and a bogey in posting his two-round total of 10-under-par 134. His is two strokes in front of Kyle Kochevar (Glen Ellyn, IL) at Hunters Ridge Golf Course in Marion. Could it be a special burger?
“Plus went to Starlite last night and had a super cheese which helped,” said Peaper in an email, adding “ha ha” at the end.
“I played well the last two days because I had a good pairing with two good guys – Blanton Farmer and Nick Cocalis. Because it was windy I really wanted to leave myself with some full swings downwind to get after the pins for the most part and I’ve been putting great this week.
“Just excited to get tomorrow going looking forward to a good opportunity.”
Peaper, who tied for ninth at the Waterloo Open last week, was T16 in 2016 here at the GCRO.
Kochevar had three birdies on his first five holes on his first nine (the back) and then took care of Hunters Ridge front nine with four more birdies.
“Today I played steady,” said Kochevar. “… Started on the back nine, kind of had to scramble the last couple holes on that nine, but my short game is good so I got away without (any) bogies. Then I knew I could take advantage of the front nine with several holes and I did just that.”
Christopher Baker (Franklin, TN), Casey Fernandez (Durant, OK) and Kevin Flack (Belvidere, IL) are all tied for third three strokes back. Baker equaled Peaper for round of the day with 64, but it could have been better. He started his round birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie and was 6 under par after just five holes.
Fernandez, out of the University of Southern Mississippi, was the leader in the clubhouse the early part of Friday.
“I made a couple of bogeys but I tried to stay patient and trust what I was doing,” said Fernandez. “I hit the ball really well today. I only missed a couple greens. My driver and wedges were solid and I made a few more putts than yesterday. I’m really happy with my course management so far.”
There are four golfers tied at 6-under led by last year’s runner-up Michael Davan (Zionsville, IN) and former Iowa golfer Nate Yankovich (Blacklick, OH), who played in the final grouping last year on championship Saturday but ended up T13.
First-round leader Brian Bullington (Frankfort, IL) had an even-par 72 and is tied for 10thwith 2009 GCRO champ Sean McCarty among others, five behind the leader.
With bad weather moving in a possibility, the GCRO decided to go off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees on championship Saturday beginning at 7 a.m. The final group of Peaper, Kochevar and Fernandez is scheduled to go off at 9:10 a.m. off the first tee. The awards ceremony, weather-permitting, will be approximately 2:30 p.m.
Admission is free.
For more coverage go here.