Blakefield rolls to GCRO title

MARION - Tucked away among cornfields and rolling hills, Hunters Ridge Golf Course played host to professionals and amateurs chasing prize money, recognition and even simple recreation during the weekend.

Mark Blakefield, a graduate of the University of Kentucky, managed to achieve all three of those with his $20,000 victory in the 2014 Greater Cedar Rapids Open. With a final score of 18-under-par, Blakefield said he nearly surprised himself at his game.

'This is a good course for me,” Blakefield said. 'The greens are kind of tricked up and you just had to be in the right spots on the greens to make the birdies. And that was my advantage out here.”

Iowa has been kind to the Maysville, Ky., native. Blakefield was crowned the Waterloo Open champion in 2013 and, after playing in that event several times, was encouraged to take a shot at the GCRO.

This win was more of a confidence boost than anything, Blakefield said.

'This tournament and ranking up, you can't put one win above another,” Blakefield said. 'And when you have a great field and a great tournament like this ... it definitely gives me some confidence trying to get into some tournaments.”

Blakefield led after the first round never looked back. After shooting a 63 on Thursday, he shot a 69 Friday and a 66 Saturday.

With eight birdies - four coming in the final five holes - Blakefield's putting propelled him to the only sub-200 of the weekend, one stroke shy of a the course record.

The race for first place was well out of reach heading into the final day, said South Carolina native Zach Byrd. A late entry into the pro division, Byrd knew he was fighting for second place.

'Today I got off to a good start and knew we were playing for second,” Byrd said. 'That was my whole goal the whole day. I stayed conservative because I knew I wasn't going to catch (Blakefield).”

With a par save on No. 18, Byrd tied Johnathan Moore of Stillwater, Okla., and Justin Bryant of St. Louis for second. Bryant, now on his second year of professional golf, said he was able to pick a part his play in the 54-hole tournament and will apply it in the coming year.

'This was a good week and I learned a couple things from some bogeys I made,” Bryant said. 'Hopefully we'll come back next year and win it.”

Former University of Iowa standout Steven Ihm said his three days in the GCRO weren't the most favorable, but he will build from the experience.

'You got to get out there and that's the gateway to the PGA Tour now,” he said. 'You've either got to win a PGA Tour event or finish top 45 in the Web.com circuit.”

Ihm started off Thursday with a 4-under-par 68, just three strokes behind Blakefield. But Friday's unforgiving winds and rain knocked Ihm back to even. He was able to salvage a 2-under-par on the final day for the tournament, placing in a tie for 24th.

Ihm will leave today for California to play in a qualifying event for the Web.com tour. Ihm said he's learned a lot in his first three professional tournaments.

'You just can't force things,” Ihm said. 'You can't play conservatively but you have to be smart. You'll make a few puts here and there.”

Gary Mortara of San Leandro, Calif., won the senior professional division with a 228, one shot better than Mark Lemon of Solon.

Michael Peter of Florence, Ala., was the top amateur, firing a 3-under-par 213. Ryan Schrimper of Marion, the only other amateur to make the cut, was two strokes back.

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