By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
Facing a field filled with larger schools left Big Foot boys golf coach Bob Sullivan with a realistic expectation at Monday’s Abbey Springs Invitational.
And by the end, the Chiefs had even exceeded that.
Big Foot finished exactly in the middle with a 393 to tie Elkhorn for 10th. Badger won the team title on the first playoff hole after it and Burlington finished with a 343.
Rounding out the top five were Edgerton with a 354, Wilmot with a 369 and Palmyra-Eagle with a 373.
The only disappointment, Sullivan said in an e-mail, was that his team’s score could have been even lower.
“(We played) pretty much the same as all season,” he said. “(We had) too many mistakes that relate to focus and good decision making (and) many more due to a number of these guys still learning how to play golf, rather than just hit a golf ball.”
Ben Bauer led the Chiefs with a 94 (45-49), followed by Quintin Sharpe with a 96 (43-53), Jacob Stout with a 100 (50-50), Lars Larsen with a 103 (47-56) and Steve Wolski with a 104 (50-54).
Sullivan said Bauer has big goals for the rest of the spring, but also knows there’s work to be done to get there
“Ben is still not close to where he wants to be,” Sullivan said. “He gets a little loose on some holes and gets some big numbers.
“He’s working hard to get his game ready for the (Rock Valley Conference) Tournament and regionals. He expects to peak at the end of the season, and I believe he will.”
The other four players in the lineup Monday also had positive moments they can build on, Sullivan said
“(Sharpe) played a nice front nine, but in a shotgun start, those were really holes seven to 15,” he said. “It took him a bit to get warmed up, but he played some good holes and was a little more consistent.
“I’m happy with how Lars Larsen’s game is progressing, as he shot one of his better 18-hole rounds. Jacob Stout was pretty solid on a number of holes, but let some get away. Steven Wolski told me he couldn’t keep the ball in play often enough and paid for it on some holes.”
Big Foot opened play last week with a third-place finish at an RVC mini-meet at Evergreen Golf Course, Elkhorn.
Clinton finished first with a 168, followed by Palmyra-Eagle with a 174, Big Foot with a 191, Parkview with a 201, Beloit Turner with a 203 and Brodhead with a 249.
In the overall standings, Clinton leads with 36 points, followed by Palmyra-Eagle with 29, Big Foot with 21, Turner with 19, Parkview with 15 and Brodhead with six.
Bauer led the way with a 45, followed by Wolski with a 46, Stout with a 47, Sharpe with a 53 and Larsen with a 58.
Next up for the Chiefs is the RVC Tournament Saturday at Riverside Golf Course, Janesville. The Chiefs will return to Evergreen next Monday, May 18, to compete in the Ryder Cup event.
Sullivan said he’s hopeful his team can hold its third-place spot when the RVC Tournament comes to a close.
“(We) just (want to) make good decisions,” he said. “High school golfers of all ability levels still don’t use their brains enough on the course, and the results are evident.
“I hope the coaches have given these guys enough enthusiasm to want to work harder at their games this summer and come back strong for next year.”
