Field Set for 38th Utah Mid-Amateur Championship at Entrada at Snow Canyon CC

by Colin Clawson

Field Set for 38th Utah Mid-Amateur Championship at Entrada at Snow Canyon CC

The field for the 38th Utah Mid-Amateur Championship field is set after 4 qualifiers over the last month. With the UGA hosting a summer championship in St. George for the first time in recent memory, the UGA expanded to 4 qualifiers for the event, adding a regional qualifier in St. George at Green Spring GC. 16 players qualified from each of the qualifying sites.

Qualifying began at Eaglewood GC with Jacob Marx finishing at -2 (69) to finish as medalist with the cut coming in at +3 (74).

Glendale GC hosted the second qualifier with competitors battling howling winds throughout the day. Luke Crapo finished as medalist with an impressive -4 (68) with the next best score coming 5 strokes back at +1 (73). The cut came in at +6 (78).

Fox Hollow GC hosted the third qualifier with 2024 State Am Quarterfinalist Aidan Thain finishing as medalist at -2 (70). The cut came in at +4 (76).

The final qualifier was held at Green Spring GC with Daniel Griffiths and Cody Wass finishing as Co-Medalists at -4 (68). The cut came in at +3 (75).

The championship is set to be held at Entrada at Snow Canyon CC on June 5-6. Players will play 36 holes on Thursday the 5th with a cut to the low 40 and ties for the final round on Friday the 6th.

Notable players in the field include 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur Round of 16 participant Steele Dewald, 2-time State Am & Senior State Am Champion Jon Wright, Former MLB Pitcher & Entrada Member Brandon Lyon, Good Good Golf YouTube Star Malosi Togisala, and 6 former Utah Mid-Amateur Champions:
Ryan Brimley – 2015
Kurt Owen – 2016
Darrin Overson – 2018
Reed Nielsen – 2019
David Jennings – 2020, 2021, 2022
Dan Horner – 2011, 2017, 2024

For the championship webpage, CLICK HERE.

Changes Coming to 2025 Championship Season

by Colin Clawson

In 2025, players should expect a few changes to the format of some UGA Championships. These changes are being made after careful consideration, factoring in the current needs of the championship, and UGA member input. Here is what to expect in 2025:

2025 Official USGA Exemption Events:

As part of the USGA’s initiative to recognize local champions with opportunities to play in national championships, the UGA has been awarded the following exemptions for championships in 2025:

127th Utah State Amateur Championship

• Champion – Full Exemption for 2025 U.S. Amateur, Local Exemption for 2026 U.S. Amateur
• Quarterfinalists – Local Exemption for 2026 U.S. Amateur

119th Utah Women’s State Amateur Championship

• Champion – Full Exemption for 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur

2nd UGA Utah Girls’ Junior State Amateur Championship

• Champion – Full Exemption for 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur

32nd Utah Senior State Amateur Championship

• Champion – Local Exemption for 2026 U.S. Senior Open

Mary Lou Baker Open Format Change:

In an effort to increase participation and elevate the prestige of the event, the Women’s Stroke Play Championship and the Mary Lou Baker Open will be combined into one 54-Hole Championship and will retain the name of Mary Lou Baker Open. This will allow the event to become ranked in WAGR (World Amateur Golf Ranking) and establish traditional dates.

36-Hole Final Matches at Women’s Am, Junior Am, Girls’ Junior Am:

The Utah Women’s State Amateur, UGA Utah Junior State Amateur, and the UGA Utah Girls’ Junior State Amateur will all feature 36-Hole Final Matches going forward, beginning in 2025. Since each event is either a current or prospective Official USGA Exemption Event, this format change will allow each championship to better match their respective national championships.

Handicap Restriction at Senior Am, Four-Ball:

In an effort to ensure a positive qualifying experience for all, there will be a handicap restriction for the Senior & Super-Senior Divisions (14.9) at Utah Senior State Amateur Qualifying and for the At-Large Division (9.9) for Utah Four-Ball Qualifying.

Dress Code Policy Change:

The UGA Championship Dress Code Policy has been updated to state: “Players and their caddies must abide by the dress code of the hosting facility. Each player is responsible for knowing the dress code and is subject to review by the tournament committee. Additionally, appropriate golf attire is required, which includes but is not limited to: collared shirts or a shirt designed for golf as well as shorts of appropriate length & material.”

4 Teams Qualify at U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Qualifiers at SunRiver

by Colin Clawson

4 Teams Qualify at U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Qualifiers at SunRiver

The teams of Nicole Iniakov & Sydney Silva -5 (66) and Scarlet Weidig & Maddie Montoya -3 (68) qualified at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Qualifier at SunRiver Golf Club on Monday. The teams of Eli Rogers & Cameron Crawford -10 (61) and Landon Anderson & Josh Pehrson -9 (62) also made the cut at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Qualifier held simultaneously at SunRiver.

Both women’s teams finished their last four holes at 2 under par to secure their places in next year’s championship.

Starting on Hole 10, Rogers & Crawford got hot in their final 9 holes with 4 birdies and a hole out for an eagle on the par-4 6th hole by Rogers. Meanwhile, Anderson & Pehrson avoided a 3-team playoff for the final spot when Pehrson made a long birdie putt on the 18th hole to secure their spot.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship will be held at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club in Nichols Hills, Oklahoma on May 10-14, 2025. The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship will be held at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey on May 17-21, 2025.

For U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Qualifier results, CLICK HERE.

For U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Qualifier results, CLICK HERE.

Field Set for 37th Utah Mid-Amateur Championship

by Bailey Bagley

Three qualifiers this week set the 37th Utah Mid-Amateur Championship at Bonneville GC next week on May 16-17th. The UGA held 3 qualifiers this week at Glendale GC on Tuesday, May 7th, Sleepy Ridge GC on Wednesday, May 8th, and Davis Park GC on Thursday, May 9th to set up the Championship. 

Qualifying kicked off Tuesday with inclement weather at Glendale GC as the rain poured down on the players all morning and the wind picked up in the afternoon with small bouts of snow here and there. Matthew Berzovich -6 (66) finished as medalist with 19 players qualifying and the cut coming in at +5 (77). 

The next qualifier at Sleepy Ridge GC brought upon clear skies, a shining sun and a slight breeze. Devin Andrews -4 (68) finished as the medalist with 20 players qualifying and the cut coming in at +3 (75). 

Another 20 spots were filled as the final qualifier was held at Davis Park GC with a cold windy chill. Eric Anderson -3 (68) finished the day as the medalist and the cut for the day came in at +4 (75). 

The championship is set to be at Bonneville GC on May 16-17. Players will play 36 holes on Thursday, the 16th with a cut to the low 40 and ties for the final round on Friday the 17th.

For the championship webpage, Click Here.

Changes Coming to the 2024 Championship Season

In 2024, players should expect a few changes to the format of some UGA Championships. These changes are being made after careful consideration, factoring in the current needs of the championship, and UGA member input. Here is what to expect in 2024:

Senior Winterchamps:

Senior Divisions will play on March 14-15 with the Men’s and Women’s Divisions to play on March 16-17. This will allow the overall field to increase from 224 to 336 total players. This change will give more UGA Members a chance to play in this popular event.

Championship Exemption Adjustments:

Exemptions have been added for the following championships:

Utah State Amateur Championship

• Increase in PPR exemptions from three to six
• Lowest three amateurs at the Utah Open

Utah Mid-Amateur Championship

• Most recent Utah Four-Ball Champions

Utah Senior State Amateur Championship

• Senior State Amateur Champion increased from one to two years
• Super-Senior State Amateur Champion increased from one to two years

Inaugural UGA Utah Junior & Girls’ Junior State Amateur Championships:

Click Here to read about the new championships.

Elimination of The Last Chance Qualifier:

Instead of the traditional Last Chance Qualifier, there will be an 11th regular qualifier for the Utah State Amateur Championship.

Senior Qualifier for Utah Four-Ball Championship:

There will now be a separate event for the senior divisions to qualify for the Utah Four-Ball Championship. This will allow more teams an opportunity to play in this growing event while continuing to maintain the same two-day format for the championship proper.

Traveling Team Adjustments:

• Utah-Arizona Shootout: will be expanded to include two senior women and two super-senior men representatives.
• Captain’s Cup: will be retired with funding being reallocated to other traveling team programming.
• Governor’s Cup: two at-large selections will be replaced with two super-senior selections.

Utah Goes Back-To-Back in Annual Shootout

For the second year in a row, Utah’s team of amateurs beat Arizona’s contingent in the 31st Annual Utah Arizona Shootout at Flagstaff Ranch Golf Club Oct. 2-3.

Utah won the Ryder Cup-style match in dominating fashion by sweeping all three rounds beginning with Four-Ball (14-4) and Foursomes (9.5-8.5) matches on day 1, followed by Singles matches (19.5-16.5) on day 2.

First-time ‘Shootout’ participant Davis Heslington secured three points for Utah in singles on the final day at Flagstaff Ranch, in conditions best described as chilly.

“We felt really good about our chances after how we performed on Day 1,” said Heslington.  “Even though we were technically the away team, we felt like the conditions favored Team Utah. Arizona had some excellent players but we played with a ton of confidence and it showed in the final results. This event was very competitive but also fun and I’m excited to try and make the team again next year.”

(L-R) Nuny Kham-One, Kelsey Chugg, Darren Kuhn, Dan Horner, Devin Tovey, David Jennings, Davis Heslington, Jeff Jolley, Justin Shluker, Elijah Turner, Steve Croft and Cameron Crawford.

Members of Utah’s team included Heslington (1st appearance), Justin Shluker (3rd appearance), Elijah Turner (1st appearance), Dan Horner (12th appearance), Cameron Crawford (5th appearance), David Jennings (9th appearance), Devin Tovey (2nd appearance), Steven Croft (3rd appearance), Darren Kuhn (2nd appearanace), Jeff Jolley (12th appearance), Kelsey Chugg (7th appearance), and Nuny Khamone (4th appearance).

Utah leads the series all-time 19-10-2 and has won 7 of the last 10 meetings. 2023 participants Dan Horner and Jeff Jolley are tied for 2nd all-time in appearances for Team Utah, just one behind the record of 13 appearances for Darrin Overson. For players with at least 5 appearances, Kelsey Chugg’s individual average points scored is the highest at 4.46.

Click here for final leaderboard

Utah Arizona Shootout recap feature written by UGA Director of Championships & Golf Operations, Colin Clawson.

2023 Utah Senior Women’s Champion to Receive 2024 LPGA Senior Championship Exemption

September 6, 2023

The Utah Golf Association in partnership with the LPGA Senior Championship and Copper Rock Golf Course are excited to announce a new exemption for the 2023 Utah Senior Women’s State Amateur Championship. The 2023 Utah Senior Women’s State Amateur Champion will receive an exemption for the 2024 LPGA Senior Championship being held at Copper Rock Golf Course on May 20-25, 2024, in Hurricane, Utah. This will be the first time this event has been held in Utah since its inauguration in 2017.

Click Here for more information about the LPGA Senior Championship

About the 2023 Utah Senior Women’s State Amateur Championship

The 2023 Utah Senior Women’s State Amateur Championship is being held at Wasatch Mountain Golf Course (Lake Course) in Midway, Utah and will feature the state’s best senior women (ages 50+).  After 36-holes of stroke play, the top four ladies will move onto a four-lady match play bracket. The Senior Women’s State Amateur Champion will be determined by the winner of the four-lady bracket. This championship will be held September 20-23, 2023. Registration for this event remains open until September 14, 2023 at 4:00pm MST.

Click Here for Registration and More Information

Utah State Amateur Spectator Information

Utah State Amateur Spectator Information

Spectator Carts Not Allowed: Spectator carts will not be permitted under any circumstance. For individuals with mobile impairments, please review the last paragraph of our Spectator Cart Policy – At The Country Club. A shuttle will be provided to and from a viewing area. Click Here to review policy.

Lunch Available for Purchase – Cash Only: Will be served each day of the championship.  For stroke play rounds, there will be boxed lunches available at the halfway house. Starting with match play, there will be a buffet that is served in the Main Dining Room and will be open from 11:00am-4:00pm. If caddies or spectators wish to purchase lunch, that option will be available at a rate of $25 each day. However, all purchases will be cash only.

Clubhouse Access & Policies: Players, caddies, and spectators will not have access to the clubhouse beyond the golf shop, halfway house, and main dining area. The Country Club also has a strict no cell phone policy inside the clubhouse and a dress code that all must follow. Click here to review the dress code.

Limited Parking: There is limited parking available at The Country Club. All spectators should plan to carpool where possible and should also be prepared to park on a public road outside the club, if necessary.

To View the Championship Homepage: Click Here

Last Chance Qualifier to Feature Randomized Roster

by Colin Clawson

Last Chance Qualifier to Feature Randomized Roster

The Last Chance Qualifier for the Utah State Amateur will have a different registration process in 2023. In previous years, Utah State Amateur hopefuls had to register within seconds of registration opening in order to get a spot in Last Chance Qualifying.

In order to give all interested competitors sufficient time to register, registration will open at 8:00am on Thursday, June 15th and will remain open until 10:00am of the same day. Players that register in this window will be put on a pending registration list. The UGA will then use it’s tournament software, Golf Genius, to randomize that pending registration list. The top 84 players on that randomized list will be promoted into the field and the rest will be put on a waitlist.

Payment is not required to register for the pending registration list.  Only those that gain entry into the Last Chance Qualifier will be charged the $80 entry fee.

The Last Chance Qualifier is allotted 4 spots into the championship. It is being held at Glendale Golf Course on Friday, June 16.

For more information and to register for the Last Chance Qualifier, CLICK HERE.

Road to The Country Club Begins at Fox Hollow

by Colin Clawson

Road to The Country Club Begins at Fox Hollow

The first qualifier for the 125th Utah State Amateur is in the books with 12 individuals punching their ticket to The Country Club in June. Alpine Country Club Member Ryan Barber finished as medalist at -4 (68) carding two eagles and three birdies.

With the championship field being cut to 156 players for this year and beyond, many suspected that it would take a much lower number to qualify than in year’s past. That proved to be true with the cut coming in at +2 (74).

The 125th Utah State Amateur is being held June 26-July 1 at The Country Club in Salt Lake City.

For full results, CLICK HERE.