Danny Daniels, a native of Cheshut, England, shares the first-round lead of the 23rd Greater Cedar Rapids Open. (Photo courtesy ISU)
Danny Daniels had never competed at Hunters Ridge Golf Course until Thursday. Joel Thelen hasn’t been back to Hunters Ridge since 2014. Same goes for Jhared Hack, which on the golf course he is not.
But regardless of their unfamiliarity with the course, the trio overcame windy conditions and put together 6-under-par 66s to tie for first-round lead of the 23rd TrueNorth Greater Cedar Rapids Open, presented by UFG Insurance.
Daniels, a London, England native, got to play with old Iowa State teammate Rick Costello and in front of another old teammate, Denzel Ieremia.
“Today was for sure fun, playing alongside an old teammate Ricky Costello and in front of Denzel was fun.” said Daniels in an email. “Started off a bit ropey from the tee, but once I started to find the fairway I was able to start hitting some wedges close and make some birdies coming in, which was nice to see.
“Both Ricky and Denzel have been very influential to me as a golfer and I’ve learned a lot from them both over the years. It’s always nice coming back to Iowa as this place did become a kind of home away from home for me after moving here from London, so I always enjoy being able to come back to Iowa.”
Daniels (Tenfly, NJ) is playing in just his second professional tournament after breaking the ice with a T39 at the Waterloo Open last week.
Hack tied for fifth back in 2014.
“I’m happy to be back (at Hunters),” said Hack. “You guys do a great job running things, and it’s so nice the little touches like the hospitality area.”
“I’ve been on the road playing events for about a month now,” said Hack, playing out of Las Vegas. “I finally feel like all the learning from each event is coming together. I made a few nice putts, but mainly my trajectory control and start lines felt nice today! Conditions were definitely tough, some sloped pins and windy tee shots.”
Hack (Las Vegas, NV) just took third at the Wyoming State Open earlier this month and next week heads to Arizona to defend his state title.
Thelen does carry some good memories of Hunters and Marion.
“My game wasn’t very good at that time (2014), but the golf course and the community left a very good impression and I always looked to come back again.”
Thelen finished 22nd on the PGA Tour LatinoAmerica money list earlier this year, including one runner-up. “I barely missed qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour event this week down in Springfield, and I felt good about my game most of the year.
He bogeyed No. 11, his second hole of the day. But – “I hit it to 6 feet on No. 12 and made an eagle which really helped turn my momentum in the right direction.”
Thelen (Ft. Worth, TX) knows what lies ahead. “I know (minus) 6 won’t win the tournament though, so I have to keep my head down and get right back to work in the morning.”
One shot back of the lead group is Mark David Johnson (Saint Simons Island, GA) and he’s followed by six golfers at 4-under 68.
Defending champion Seth Fair shot a 1-over-par 73, his worst round at Hunters since 2013. Defending runner-up Samuel Cyr is in a four-way for 11th at 3-under.
North Liberty amateur Tate Brunk, playing on an invite for winning the Greater Cedar Rapids Junior earlier this month, was extremely respectable. He is tied for 87th at 5-over 77.Play continues today, after which there will be a cut before Saturday’s final round.
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