Hawaiian native Samuel Cyr has been here before. In 2019, Cyr led the TrueNorth Greater Cedar Rapids Open, presented by UFG Insurance, by one stroke heading into the third and final round.
He had only a one-shot lead and ended up finishing tied for third, not too shabby but certainly not what he wanted.
He might have taken care of that Friday at Hunters Ridge Golf Course. Cyr, going off early before a nasty wind kicked up in the afternoon, shot a 10-under-par 62, only the fifth time that score has been posted in the GCRO. He missed a birdie putt on his last hole that would have tied the course record.
“This time the outcome is going to be different, “ said Cyr (pronounced Seer), who switched back to an old Scotty Cameron putter Friday that he had used earlier this week in the pro/am.
It worked. Cyr (La Jolla, CA) had eight birdies and an eagle in his round in posting a tournament total 15-under-par 129 after two rounds.
“I struck it well Thursday and really struck it well again Friday,” said Cyr. “I just made some putts.”
Cyr has been battling a hand injury and has limited his competitive play. He doesn’t warm up a lot and doesn’t hit balls after his round. He relaxes and ices the hand. He did not play in the Waterloo Open last week, but plans to play in the Iowa Open next week. He did win a local U.S. Open qualifying event back in California, but failed to advance out of sectional play.
Cyr said he won’t have any problem sleeping on his lead after his big round.
“I’ll sleep just fine,” said Cyr, who is staying with John and Cindy Bender and said they were part of the reason he’s back at Hunters Ridge. “I’ve won a few events. I’ve had plenty of opportunities. This is nothing different. It’s just golf.”
Cyr, 35, leads first-round co-leader Ethan Brue (Ashland, IL) and 2016 champ Seth Fair (Whitestown, IN) by five strokes heading into today’s final round. All golfers making the cut will go off split tees Saturday morning with the leaders scheduled to go off the first hole at 9:20 a.m.. The awards ceremony has been moved up to approximately 2 p.m.
Brue followed Thursday’s opening-round 65 with a respectable 3-under-par 69 and sits at 10-under. Fair, who also has two runner-up finishes at Hunters Ridge, shot a 4-under-par 68 Friday.
Four golfers are at 9-under six shots off the lead ,including the other first round co-leader Carson Roberts (Conway, AK).
Notables who did not make the cut include PGA Tour winner Smylie Kaufman (7 over), Waterloo Open $50,000 winner Michael Visacki (5 over), 2018 GCRO winner Nathan Yankovich (1 under) and 2009 champ Sean McCarty (6 over).
The public is invited to see the final round and there is no admission.
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