BEAUMONT, Texas — It came down to the final hole to decide who was going to walk away with $50,000 and become the 2025 Waterloo Open champion at Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course on Sunday, July 20 in Waterloo, Iowa.

Cody Banach, a former Lamar University standout, birdied the 17th hole to force a two-way tie for the top spot with Zachary Robbins of Grand Rapids, Mich.

Robbins finished with a bogey while Banach came away with a par to walk away victorious.

Banach ended up tallying 10 birdies, seven of which came on the front nine. He birdied two of the three final holes to finish the final round at 10-under-par.

He recorded 24 birdies and one eagle during the three-day tournament while also having to endure rainy conditions.

Banach finished 23-under-par with the scores of 67-64-62 (193).

Started in 1933, the Waterloo Open is the oldest and largest professional tournament in Iowa, which hosts nearly 400 amateur and professional golfers across three different courses.

The Houston native attended Lamar University from 2016-2020 after wrapping up his career as a four-year letterman at Clear Lake High School.

Banach earned both second team All-Southland Conference and second team Academic All-Southland Conference honors during the 2018-19 season after leading the Cardinals with a scoring average of 73.1.

That season he was one of three golfers to play in every round as he earned two top 10 finishes and had 11 rounds of par or better.

During the 2019-20 shortened season, he led LU with a scoring average of 73.3 while he recorded five top 25 finishes and six rounds of par or better.

His lone top 10 finish came at The Grove Intercollegiate where he tied for fourth.

Banach joined the professional ranks in 2020 by becoming a member of the All Pro Tour where he's recorded five top 10 finishes.

His best finish came at the Real Okie Championship at Muskogee Golf Club in Oklahoma on May 14, 2022, when he tied for second and earned $7,016.67.