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 seven pars including a tough opening par on the the second-longest hole on the course, a par-5 seventh hole that can play as long as 615 yards.
"It's hard to catch up on these holes just because of how long they are," Thompson said. "There are some gettable par-5s we play back home at Cedar Creek or Fox Run. When you're playing a hole that can measure 600 yards, it's fine to get out of there with a par.
" Thompson also had a birdie on the 400-plus yard 13th, the highlight in a round in which the Bulldog senior again struggled to drive the ball. As was the case at Geneva, Thompson found himself having to scramble several times after hitting wayward shots with the driver leading to three straight bogeys after his opening par and 10 bogeys overall on the way to sharing 27the place in the tournament with a nine-over-par round. "It was a C-minus type of round.
I got stuck in the rough several times, which was hard to get out of. I didn't putt badly, but I didn't make as many putts as I did on Friday at Geneva," Thompson said. "I know my drives will come along, but I'm still a little concerned.
I need to straighten it out pretty soon. I'm thinking about laying off the driver and hitting a three-wood or a two-iron in hopes of posting a better score." Right behind Thompson was Milo Canny, who followed up a stellar season-opening round of 85 on Friday in Muscatine with a career-best round of 84 in his second-ever trip around Blue Top Ridge.
After posting a score of 105 last season at the Iowa City West Invitational, Canny shook off a seven-over start to his round over the first six holes, producing a team-low 39 on the back nine to finish in a tie for 31st overall while helping the Bulldogs edge Muscatine for seventh place by seven strokes making a 20-stroke improvement for the second straight tournament. "I made a par on the 10th hole and it just seemed to bring my confidence back," Canny said. "I ran off four pars in a row on the back nine.
I started to drive the ball really well, hitting right in the center of the face and putted well enough. I wasn't making a lot of long putts, but I left myself close enough to the hole each time to avoid any three-putts. It just felt like I got on a roll.
" Stephen Brinegar posted a round of 86 for the Bulldogs while Logan Storto posted a 91 to round out the team scoring for the Bulldogs. Tate Harness brought in a 96 for Ottumwa while Gavin Monaghan rounded out the day with a round of 100. "It took most of the boys about four to six holes just to get used to the greens," Creamer said.
"There were a lot of chips that rolled out more than we thought they would. That's just one of those things you can't really prepare for until you actually get to the course. You can chip and putt all you want at home, but until you get out there on the course you're playing at, you have know idea how those greens are going to react.
" The leaderboard at Iowa City West may be one that looks very similar to the Class 4A state boys golf tournament in two months at Briarwood Golf Club in Ankeny. Pleasant Valley came out out on top with a score of 291 for the team title at Blue Top Ridge, edging Johnston by just four strokes and Wahlert Catholic by six while Pleasant Valley senior Andrew Tillman won medalist honors on a card-off with Wahlert senior Ben Dolter after both posted three-under-par rounds of 69 with Johnston teammates Andrew Johannsen and Lucas Laffon matching Burlington senior Thomas Rascon for third place with two-under par scores of 70. Up next for the Bulldogs will be their first Iowa Alliance Conference meet of the season.
Ottumwa heads to Marshalltown on Tuesday to compete against Des Moines Lincoln, Des Moines North, Fort Dodge, Waterloo East and the hosting Bobcats at the American Legion Golf Course starting at 10 a.m. "It's going to get easier from here on out," Creamer said.
"We'll get back to work and see if we can post some better scores." One of the golfers that Ottumwa shared the course with on Monday at Blue Top Ridge was Iowa City West junior Jack Jensen-Fitzpatrick. His mother, new Iowa head women's golf coach Jan Jensen, was in attendance at Monday's tournament and took time to talk with the Bulldog boys golf team following the round.
"She came up and was super nice. She works well in the community. That's what it takes to build a successful program," Creamer said.
"She came up and talked with the boys. She even took a picture with them. We're all Iowa fans, so we'll keep supporting them.
It was nice to see her come out and support all of us.".
