There’s an old saying about one man’s demise is another man’s gain. That certainly played out Saturday at Hunters Ridge Golf Course in Marion.
The demise was Brant Peaper’s. The gain was Nate Yankovich’s. The scene was the 20thannual TrueNorth Cedar Rapids Open, presented by Granite City Food & Brewery.
Peaper had the tournament seemingly in a stranglehold after birdieing the 15thhole to go to 17-under par and hold a four-stroke lead over his nearest competitors with three holes to play. His demise followed. Yankovich, who certainly did his part to be part of the story, took full advantage and won in a one-hole playoff.
The ending had Yankovich, a former University of Iowa golfer from Blacklick, Ohio, hoisting the inaugural Sam Farner-Bob Brooks TrueNorth Greater Cedar Rapids Memorial Trophy and one of those poster-sized checks you see on game shows and at golf tournament awards ceremonies for a GCRO record $30,000.
“You know all I had to do today was play a solid round,’ said Yankovich, who will play in the Iowa Open next week where he placed second last year. “I knew going into the day the wind was going to be low, the weather was going to be perfect and I knew I was going to have to shoot a score.”
He did with an 8-under 64 for a tournament total 14-under par 202. His own play received some help from his playing partners – Chris Gilman (Yorba Linda, CA) and Michael Davan (Zionvile, IN). That group combined to shoot 19-under-par on Saturday with Gilman posting a 7-under 65 and Davan a 4-under 67. They had 23 birdies between them.
“It was really nice,” said Yankovich, 24. “I was two back of one of my playing competitors (Gilman) through 11 holes and I knew if I caught him or passed him that at worst I would be a solo second. And luckily, I had a little help coming down the stretch and luckily it was enough. Yeah, we fed off each other great. You know it’s nice seeing putts go in by other people and so that motivates you.”
The help was actually more than that and came from Peaper (Jupiter, FL), who had played so solidly the majority of the tournament.
His tee shot on the par-3 16thbounced into a bunker and facing a plugged, downhill lie, he decided to putt it out. He got it out but left it short in a dicey lie in the rough. His chip wasn’t as planned and he two-putted for a double-bogey. After a decent tee ball on the par-5 17th, he pulled an iron into the water, was short of the green on his next shot and managed to get up and down for a bogey 6. He was now tied with Yankovich at 14-under and needed an up-and-down on 18 to force the playoff.
The sudden-death playoff lasted one hole. Peaper, who shot as final-round 68, hit his tee shot into the right rough, caught a flyer on his second shot that went bounding over the green and he chipped up and missed a 15-footer for par. Yankovich laced a 3-wood to within 100 yards, hit his approach to within 5 feet and two-putted for the win. It was the first GCRO playoff in 10 years.
Peaper, 28, didn’t shy away from the post-round interview.
“I’m pretty bummed, but it’s a big learning experience I guess so you know, but it’s not the Masters”, he semi-laughed. “It’s still going to burn.”
“I decided to putt it, which was unique,” said Peaper, who took a two-shot lead into the final round. “I just wanted to get it out of the bunker, which I did. … “
After that hole things started to change.
“I was never really out of the moment until then. I was like ‘Wow! OK.’”
He conceded he should not have been as aggressive on 17. “I shouldn’t have been even close to that water.”
“Finishing runner-up is never bad … “explained Peaper, a PGA Mackenzie Tour vet with 29 starts. “If you would have told me I was going to finish ninth last week at Waterloo and runner-up this week I would have been ecstatic. I mean in hindsight, it’s totally OK. It’s going to burn and I’m human ….”
Gilman, a GCRO first-timer who came in with credentials, finished third at 13-under. First-round leader Brian Bullington (Frankfort, IL), another former Hawkeye golfer, and Dan Woltman (Beaver Dam, WI) tied for fourth one stroke further back. Davan, who was second last year, finished sixth.
The day’s best round was by Evan Bowser (Dearborn, MI) with a 9-under 63. Brown Deer Golf Course head pro and former GCRO champ Sean McCarty tied for 15th.
Sixty-nine-year-old Marshall Gavre (Fairfield, IA) won the Senior Division by three shots over Cory Schultz (Dodge Center, MN).
Jack Korzon (Downers Grove, IL) won the Amateur Division by five shots over Ryan Schrimper (Marion, IA).
For more coverage go here.