Alex Schaake feels at home at Greater Cedar Rapids Open

MARION — Alex Schaake’s comfort generated another strong start.

For the second year in a row, the fourth-year golf professional and University of Iowa alumnus charged up the leaderboard in the first round of the Greater Cedar Rapids Open.

“It’s a very kind of stress-free this week,” said Schaake, 26, who fired a 5-under par score of 67 Thursday at Hunters Ridge Golf Course. “I love the golf course. I have a lot of friends, in fact, that live in Marion. They come out and support me on the weekends. There is just something about being back in Iowa that really has a calming presence. I just really love this golf course. I love being here and everything just kind of fits together perfectly.”

Adding to Schaake’s comfort with Hunters Ridge is the ability to stay with his aunt and uncle less than 5 miles from the course. Last year, Schaake blistered the GCRO field with a 9-under 63 in the first round en route to a fourth-place tournament finish. This time, he overcame a relatively slow opening round start — 1-over through five holes — and rebounded with birdies on six of the final 14 holes.

“Putter just kind of started getting hot,” Schaake said. “Made a couple good par saves. I just kind of put myself in the position that you need to be off the tee out there and took advantage of the soft conditions. Put some close and rolled in a couple of long putts.”

Schaake’s Iowa roots run deep. He was born in Waterloo before his family moved to Omaha, Neb., where he helped Creighton Prep win three state championships. After high school, Schaake joined older brother Carson Schaake with the Hawkeyes, where Alex became Iowa’s first two-time Big Ten Player of the Year (2019, 2021).

“I consider myself basically a 50-percent Iowan, 50-percent Nebraskan now,” Schaake said with a laugh.

Last year was quite notable in Schaake’s young professional career. Not only did he earn Korn Ferry Tour status, he qualified for the 2023 U.S. Open by winning a qualifying tournament 10 days prior.

“It was cool,” said Schaake, who missed the cut after two rounds at the U.S. Open. “My family has been very fortunate. Three out of the last four years we’ve had one of us, me or Carson, qualify for the U.S. Open. LACC (Los Angeles Country Club) was unlike any place I have ever been to in the golf world. You kind of felt like you were part of history there.”

In addition to the pursuit of Korn Ferry and PGA Tour qualifiers, Schaake will defend his title at next month’s Iowa Open in Riverside. But first, he will try to stay in contention at the GCRO. At press time, Schaake was one stroke behind former University of Michigan golfer Nick Carlson and two behind leader Bryce Emory.

“I think I just have to keep doing what I am doing,” Schaake said. “Getting off to a better start is going to be huge. Usually when I play pretty good rounds, I get off to good starts and I get under par quickly. Just keeping the pedal down and keep making birdies and if I get in trouble, just take my medicine and move on.”