What a day Saturday was at the TrueNorth Greater Cedar Rapids Open at Hunters Ridge Golf Course!

Nick Carlson, a former University of Michigan golfer, had taken the lead after day two with a wonderful 66-67 combo. At 11 under par, Nick slept on a two-stroke lead over Alex Schaake, a former University of Iowa golfer now living in Omaha.

Thirty-two players were at 2 under par or better after the second round. That was where the cut line finished, thanks to fine play from the final group on Friday. We also experienced a Hole-In-One on #16 by Matthew Menenghetti of Schererville, IN. This helped him stand at three under par after Friday, eventually finishing at 6 under and tied for 17th.

Saturday was a day filled with a lot of wind on the course. The pins were set a little tougher. Still, the golf was great! Andrew Beckler from Topeka, KS, fired the best round of the day, shooting the third 65 of the tournament and the only one on Saturday! His fine finish catapulted him into a tie for 4th place.

But the real drama was yet to come. Nick Carlson and Alex Schaake played excellent golf and took turns taking the lead. When Carlson made a bogie at the 16th hole, they were tied again at 12 under par. From there, they matched birdies on 17 and 18 to finish tied at 14 under par through the 54-hole regulation. What they didn’t know was another former University of Iowa golfer, Brian Bullington of Frankfort, IL, playing just ahead, had birdied the 18th to post a final-round 66 and 14 under par for the tournament.

A Playoff was at hand! The scheduled holes were #’s 1, 4, 5, and more. And there was more! With pars at the first three, both Schaake and Bullington reached the par five 6th green in two shots, Carlson came up just short. Failing to get up and down for his birdie, he waited for the other two, who both were able to two-putt for birdies and move on. Nick Carlson tied for 2nd Place.

At that point, it was now it was Schaake and Bullington. Schaake hit his drive into the fairway bunker on the right of #7 and played a good shot to the middle of the green. Bullington seemed to go for the flag at the back of the green from his drive in the middle of the fairway, and he ended up just off the green. Schaake putting first, left himself a tap which he made. Then it was Bullington’s turn. Brian went for the win, but his putt missed the mark. Unfortunately for him, the hole was cut on top of a long hill, and his ball traveled almost 20 feet past the hole. When Bullington failed on the comeback, Alex Schaake was the 2024 GCRO Champion and won the $24,000 cash prize.

Thanks to all of the players, donors, housing hosts, volunteers, and crew at Hunters Ridge for making this 25th Anniversary golf tournament a very special one!