Apyan excelling despite hometown tragedy

MARION – Pro golfer Paul Apyan completed another stellar round Friday at the Greater Cedar Rapids Open, even though his foremost thoughts remain with his family and community back home.

Apyan, 28, followed up his opening-round 63 with a 7-under par 65, persevering through a two-hour weather delay mid-round and maintained his lead at Hunters Ridge Golf Course.

'I was playing really well on the front,” said Apyan, who sits at 16-under par through two rounds. 'I just kept burning edges. I birdied 10, birdied 11 and then the horn blew and I was like, ‘Oh, great.' And the way the wind gusts, I was just, ‘Let's try to get out, get one on 12 and let's go from there.' I was fortunate enough I two-putt birdied 12, to about a foot and a half on 13 and parred the rest of the way in.”

The weather delay caused several groups to still be on the course when play was suspended due to darkness.

This is Apyan's first trip to Iowa – which included a stop at last week's Waterloo Open – and has kept him away from his hometown of Chattanooga, Tenn., for nearly two weeks. While he has been away, the city was shaken when a gunman attacked two military installations July 16, killing four Marines and a Navy sailor before being killed by a police officer. Apyan has relied on news reports and updates from his wife, Leah, to stay up to date on the community's resilient response – exemplified through expressions of grief and support.

'Talking to my wife, there's memorials set up all over the city,” Apyan said. 'I was listening this morning and one group has already raised over $50,000. Another group has raised $20,000 for the families. It really brings you back to what's important. (Golf is) A good thing to distract you, if nothing else.”

Apyan is understandably anxious for a release from his 'distraction,” not only to get home and help provide community support, but to reunite with his newborn son, Paul Cameron. Immediately after Saturday's final round, Apyan will hop in the car with his best friend and begin the drive home. Given his play through two rounds, there's a good bet a winner's trophy will be along for the ride.

'We're just going to play golf tomorrow,” Apyan said. 'Thinking about Cam back home and all the families in Chattanooga, and that's really all I'm worried about right now.”

Apyan will begin Saturday's final round with an six-stroke lead over defending champion Mark Blakefield (Maysville, Ky.) and Joseph Juszczyk of Dearborn Heights, Mich. Blakefield shot 65 to reach 10-under par overall, while Jusczyk followed up his first-round 65 with a 3-under par 69.

Linn-Mar golf coach Bill Hoefle is tied for seventh after a 3-under par 69 second-round score. Another Metro-area prep golf coach – Steve Koepke of Cedar Rapids Jefferson – assumed the amateur division lead with a 67 on Friday, bettering the par score by two strokes after two rounds.

West Des Moines native Javier Sanchez is in fourth place overall at 9-under par, which leads the senior professional division.

Greater Cedar Rapids Open

At Marion

(Hunters Ridge G.C., par 72)

Paul Apyan 63-65-128

Mark Blakefield 69-65-134

Joseph Juszczyk 65-69-134

Patrick Sheehan 68-68-136

Brandon Cauldwell 65-71-136

Trent Sanders 72-65-137

Sam Osborne 71-66-137

Adam Schenk 70-67-137

Bill Hoefle 68-69-137

Eric Steger 65-72-137

Austin Quick 64-74-138

Greg Kopf 72-67-139

Tyler Neff 71-68-139

Tim Crouch 73-67-140

Eric Cole 72-68-140

Seth Fair 71-69-140

Greg O'Mahony 70-70-140

Matt Miller 70-70-140

Justin Regier 72-69-141

Blanton Farmer 71-70-141

Justin Hueber 70-71-141

Steven Ihm 69-72-141

Brent Blaum 72-70-142

Mitchell Gregson 71-71-142

Jimmy Lytle 69-73-142

Zach Steffen 68-74-142

Cody Strange 68-74-142

Kurt Slattery 72-71-143

Matthew Rau 72-71-143

Justin Bryant 67-76-143

Peter Lamaris 74-70-144

Tim Beth 73-71-144

Andrew Wegeng 71-73-144

Britt Pavelonis 70-74-144

Craig Isabel 70-74-144

Dylan Jackson 73-72-145

John Jackson 73-72-145

Alex McMahon 73-72-145

Clint Keown 73-72-145

Curtis Yonke 72-73-145

Luke Slaymaker 71-74-145

Ryan Buerk 69-76-145

Zechariah Potter 76-70-146

Daniel Zimmerman 76-70-146

Sean Barrett 75-71-146

Charlie Harrison 74-72-146

Nate Barbee 74-72-146

Willie Mack 73-73-146

Ryan Schrimper 72-74-146

Calvin Pearson 70-76-146

Andrew Rauscher 69-77-146

Andy Buege 67-79-146

Ryan Sperry 77-70-147

Rodney Hamblin 75-72-147

Jordan Payne 73-74-147

Gabe Ross 72-75-147

Michael Sainz 72-75-147

Joshua Manske 70-77-147

Brent Quade 69-78-147

Johnny Gullberg 75-73-148

Erik Downs 73-75-148

Tommy Bliefnick 75-73-148

Tyler Dice 71-78-149

Jonathan Tink 77-72-149

Jack Newman 76-73-149

McCormick Clouser 75-74-149

Steve Sowards 77-72-149

Jeffery Kellen 71-79-150

David Rose 74-76-150

Justin Imel 75-75-150

Derek Rende 78-72-150

Jason Gandy 80-70-150

Brad Klapprott 77-74-151

Matthew Jennings 71-80-151

Collin Neeman 73-78-151

Patrick Newcomb 75-76-151

David Haley Jr 72-79-151

Nic Goodin 77-75-152

Josh Bousman 74-79-153

Nicholas Olsgaard 73-80-153

Kevin Gillick 78-76-154

Oscar Sachs 74-80-154

Daniel Charen 76-79-155

Ryan Marks 78-78-156

Jon Jozefowski 72-84-156

Dustin Miller 77-81-158

Kelly King 76-82-158

Michael Dominick 83-78-161

Apo Tsolakis 80-81-161

Brett Melton 72-WD-WD

Taylor Koser 74-WD-WD

Dave Schultz 76-WD-WD

Sean McCarty 78-WD-WD

Loren Jeglum 78-WD-WD

Did Not Complete Second Round

Thomas Buran 65-65

Brian Anderson 65-65

Maxwell Cohen 68-68

Drew Imel 69-69

Alexander Medinis 69-69

Blake Isakson 69-69

Ryan Kiewiet 70-70

Robb Taylor 70-70

Paul Jacobsen 73-73

Dane Worley 73-73

Zachary Hammerberg 75-75

Jeremy Sanders 77-77

Peter Badawy 77-77

Senior Professionals

Javier Sanchez 66-69-135

Chuck Moran 71-73-144

Marshall Gavre 68-76-144

Jim Doing 75-73-148

Mark Lemon 74-74-148

David Narveson 74-76-150

Gary Mortara 77-81-158

Super Senior Professionals

Chuck Moran 71-73-144

Marshall Gavre 68-76-144

Mark Lemon 74-74-148

David Narveson 74-76-150

Amateurs

Steve Koepke 75-67-142

JD Schlotterbock 72-73-145

Kevin Ault 68-77-145

Michael Peter 73-77-150

Eric Cress 75-76-151

Ryan Schlueter 76-76-152

Chris James 75-78-153

Jeff Wenthe 80-75-155

Tanner Stewart 78-77-155

Rob Dickerman 79-78-157

Hunter O'Mahony 78-79-157

Dalton Stevens 81-78-159

Eddie Doyle 80-79-159

Brent Larson 78-82-160

Bradley Neville 77-86-163

Max Thrune 77-86-163

Matt Junge 80-83-163

Matt Roling 93-80-173

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com