PLEASANT HILL – Nothing could take away from the Ottumwa High School boys golf team’s impressive start to the week.
Just two days after producing the lowest 18-hole team score in five years, the Bulldogs struggled on their third straight day of competition on Wednesday. Ottumwa posted his second-best score of the season at the Southeast Polk Invitational, finishing with a round of 337 at Cooper Creek Golf Club, finishing ninth overall in the tournament.
“We really played the full season over the last couple of days,” Ottumwa boys head coach Kyle Creamer said. “Anytime you play three days in a row, it’s tough. It’s more of a mental challenge than anything else. Cooper Creek is a really tough course and, if you’re not sharp, it’s going to be really tough .”
Ottumwa opened the week by posting a team score of 301 at the Steve Spray Invitational, the lowest team score in an 18-hole tournament since the Bulldogs posted a 298 at the Joe August Invitational in 2019. Chase Thompson was one of three Ottumwa players to post career-best rounds at Indianola Country Club on Monday before following up with a nine-hole score of 37 at Blank Golf Course on Tuesday, leading the Bulldogs to a team score of 155 by winning an Iowa Alliance Conference Southern Division dual against Des Moines. Lincoln by 46 moves.
“If we can shoot this well again and even beat a few guys under 80, we have a chance to go over 300,” Thompson said. “We’d definitely take that to the state qualifying tournament. We’ve proven what we’re capable of. If we shoot around 300 or below, we have a great chance to qualify.”
Thompson led Ottumwa for the second time this week, closing Wednesday’s round with a score of 77. Despite four birdies on the back nine, Thompson couldn’t overcome a rough start to the stretch that included a pair of double bogeys and a triple bogey on the par-3 12th hole.
“I felt good there. There were just a few holes where I had a few bad swings that led to three big numbers,” Thompson said. “You take away three of these first four holes, I’m in contention for a top five or maybe even to beat par.
“The main thing I had to do was get off the tee better. I hit a few squirrel-shaped tee shots. I didn’t swing the club as fully as I should have. I tried to keep the ball up there. One shot went out of bounds. One of them went into the water. It all led to big numbers.
Stephen Brinegar followed at Thompson with a round of 82 for the Bulldogs, capping his round with a triple bogey on the eighth hole just two days after shooting a career-low 72 at Indianola. Milo Canny posted a score of 88 on Wednesday for Ottumwa while Tate Harness added a score of 90.
“We just didn’t get off to a good start our first three or four holes,” Creamer said. “The guys did a good job getting back, but it’s a tough path to follow.”
Logan Storto had two of his best rounds for Ottumwa to open the week, posting a career-low 18-hole score of 74 on Monday at Indianola, before earning medalist honors with a nine-hole score of 36 during the Iowa Alliance’s double southern victory. on Des Moines Lincoln Tuesday. Storto struggled Wednesday at Cooper Creek, finishing with a round of 91, while Gavin Monaghan closed out the varsity portion of the Southeast Polk Invitational for the Bulldogs with a round of 94.
“The biggest thing we talk about with the guys is hitting the ball during the game,” Creamer said. “If you can keep the ball in play, you give yourself a chance to limit your mistakes. It’s just about making quality shots that will give you a chance to lower your score.”
Ottumwa junior varsity finished with a team score of 376. Ethan Reynolds led the Bulldog JV with a round of 92, edging Brock Garcia by two strokes, with Carter Burton and Roen Miller each posting rounds of 95.
“The guys are tired. They just need a few days off before they go back to work next week,” Creamer said. “This overall week is a real confidence booster. We know we can do it. We just need to recover and get ready for the big state qualifying tournament on October 7.”
Ottumwa golfers will compete at Cedar Creek Golf Course on Monday. The Bulldogs will host Burlington, Indianola and Dallas Center-Grimes in a quadrangular starting at 10 a.m.
