Defending champion Steve Koepke leader after day 1 of Men’s Senior City Amateur

CEDAR RAPIDS — The suggestion came from his son.

Last year, Cedar Rapids’ Steve Koepke dusted off his golf clubs for his first competitive tournament in a few years. All it took was six simple words from his son, Andrew.

“I want to be your caddie.”

With Andrew at his side, Koepke won the 2024 Men’s Senior City Amateur golf tournament in his first year of participation.

Now, father and son are back to defend the title.

“I don’t get out and play too much anymore,” said Koepke, 52, after scoring a 3-under par 69 in the opening round of this year’s Men’s Senior City Am Friday at Twin Pines Golf Course. “In tournaments, I haven’t played a lot. But when he’s on my bag, it’s awesome.”

Koepke closed his round with the last of his four birdies, which secured sole possession of first place and a one-shot lead over both Tim Ingwersen — who played in Koepke’s group of four — and Terry Stebral, who each fired a 70. Longtime sports radio host Scott Unash is alone in fourth place at 1 under (71).

“I almost had a clean card,” Koepke said. “I made a sloppy bogey (on hole No. 11), had to take an unplayable lie that led to a bogey. Didn’t make a couple of putts ..., but down the stretch I made a birdie on 18 that was nice. What’s better than a 70 is 69.”

This fall, Koepke will begin his 27th year of teaching at Taft Middle School, where he also serves as Activities Coordinator and coaches football, basketball and tennis. He also spent two decades coaching golf at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, but resigned a few years ago to devote more time to the athletic pursuits of Andrew, who is now 14 and will be competing at quarterback for the Jefferson freshman football team.

“I’m going to get done with my football practices and get right to Kingston (Stadium) to watch him,” Koepke said. “I resigned from Jeff when he got to be a certain age and said, ‘I want to be coached more.’ It wasn’t a long schedule, but it was a weird schedule.”

Koepke will attempt to hold onto his lead as the tournament shifts to Gardner Golf Course on Saturday before concluding Sunday at Ellis Golf Course. The role of defending champion is nothing new to Koepke. Before he was eligible to compete in the Men’s City Senior Am, Koepke won a pair of Cedar Rapids City Am titles in 2009 and 2011.

“What it really comes down to is being able to stay in the moment and play one shot at a time,” Koepke said. “Like I was telling (Andrew), ‘Don’t get too high, don’t get too low.’ Last year, we thought we had a two-shot lead with three holes to play, then we’re tied because Donnie Rogers went out and shot 65. Things will change.

“Just hit every shot as if it’s your last and have fun. We ‘play golf,’ we don’t ‘work golf.’”