RIVERSIDE — Kyle Creamer wanted his boys to enjoy the day. Playing a course as beautiful and as challenging as Blue Top Ridge doesn't happen every day. Neither does getting to meet Jan Jensen, the new head coach of the Iowa Hawkeye women's basketball team.
The Ottumwa Bulldog boys golf team got to do both on Monday afternoon. The Bulldogs posted a 342 team score for the second straight year on the home course of the Iowa Open and occasional home course of the University of Iowa men's golf team, earning a seventh-place finish for the second time in as many tournaments so far this year competing against some of Class 4A's top programs at the Iowa City West Invitational. "You always want to play well every time you go out to compete, but I reminded the guys before we came up to appreciate the opportunity to play on a course like this," Ottumwa head boys golf coach Kyle Creamer said.
"When you do, you want to take advantage of it. If you're down on yourself and not happy with how you're playing, you're not going to enjoy the course. "The main thing for the boys was to enjoy this day and take all of this in.
This isn't just a course you can come here every day to play." Chase Thompson again led the Bulldogs for the second straight tournament, following up a hard-earned round of 78 on Friday at the Geneva Golf and Country Club in Muscatine with a round of 81 on Monday at the 7,400-yard Blue Top Ridge. Playing almost 1,000 yards longer than Geneva, Thompson had to earn each of his.