32nd Utah Senior State Amateur: Darrin Overson completes a UGA trifecta

Regardless of the outcome, the final match of the 32nd Utah Senior State Amateur Championship was destined to deliver a good story.

Stuart Wallin was positioned to become one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 Utah Golf Association schedule, with his credentials boosted by the big-name players he beat along the way at Bonneville Golf Course.

2025 Utah Senior State Amateur champion, Darrin Overson.

Darrin Overson had a shot at adding his own name to a club that featured one of Utah’s most successful amateur golfers of the past half-century.

The champion: Overson, 3 and 1. His reward: A trophy that joins State Amateur and Mid-Amateur awards in a collection that only Utah Golf Hall of Fame member Todd Barker previously could claim.

Overson’s 17-hole achievement Thursday was hardly stress-free, but he didn’t have to play as much golf as the other winners. Mark Gardiner went 23 holes vs. Rick Lloyd in the Super-Senior (60-over) division and Michael Hacker took 20 holes to top Rob Bachman for the Legends (70-over) title.

Each of those winners also claimed a UGA Winterchamps title in March. Gardiner and Hacker then won their Senior Stroke Play categories in May. Overson fell short in that event, but he has left little else undone on the golf course as a senior rookie.

Overson’s successful season has been framed by the passing of his father, Donald, in March at age 73. That’s why he used the qualifier “a good year of golf” to describe 2025.

“It’s been a weird year, for sure,” he added. “Turning 50 was not something I was looking forward to, right? It means you’re getting older. But having an avenue, and a place to play with guys my age and see how I stack up, it’s been a really good year. It’s been fun.”

Overson, who works as a human resources service broker, had to go through three-time champion Brigham Gibbs in the quarterfinals and two-time UGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year Shane McMillan in the semifinals. Wallin, a firearms business owner who’s new to UGA competition, beat defending champion Jon Wright in the round of 16 and No. 1 seed John Owen in the semifinals.

And then he kept Overson from leading in the final match until No. 11. Wallin pulled even on No. 12, before Overson won Nos. 13, 16 and 17 (birdie, par, birdie) to end the match.

“I love playing with the senior guys,” said Overson, a Provo native who briefly pursued pro golf after his Colorado State career. “It’s all about just having fun, for sure. We know why we’re out here. We’re not competing for dollar bills or anything like that.”

Super-Senior Champion, Mark Gardiner

SUPER-SENIOR

Whether the drive home took him to the south part of the Salt Lake Valley or the southern end of Utah, the Super-Senior runner-up would be doomed to replay his missed chances.

The much longer drive became the far happier trek, in the case of Mark Gardiner. The Washington, Utah, resident could enjoy the I-15 jaunt, even after missing opportunities to close out his match vs. Rick Lloyd long before the 23rd hole.

That was still not Gardiner’s longest match of the week, after he went 26 holes in the first round of the 16-golfer bracket.

Gardiner missed a birdie putt from inside of 4 feet on the first extra hole, the par-5 No. 1. He managed to laugh it off, and stayed in the game when Lloyd barely missed birdie attempts on the next three holes. Gardiner’s par on the par-5 No. 5 ended things.

“There’s a reason we’re amateurs, and it’s right here in the head,” Gardiner said. “But I smile the whole way. I mean, this is just the best game there is. … Just live for another hole. Put it behind you and just try to hit another shot. That’s all I try to do.”

Lloyd was the defending champion; he also won a title in 2022, when Super-Senior eligibility was 65 and older.

Having retired after 26 years in the U.S. Air Force and moved to Utah last year, Gardiner said after posing with the trophy, “The native Utah guys have had their names plastered on that thing for years and years. I’m very happy to have my name on there, next to them.”

Legends Champion, Mike Hacker

LEGENDS

As his 20-foot, sharply breaking putt from the fringe of the No. 2 green rolled along his intended line and took the proper turn toward the hole, Michael Hacker said to himself, “Oh, man. This could go in.”

It did, ultimately surprising him even more than his short misses on the previous two holes that could have ended his match vs. Rob Bachman, before he won in 20 holes.

“Ridiculous,” Hacker said of that sequence of events, leading to the dramatic conclusion. “And (to) make something like this …”

That’s golf, right? And about 16 months after missing a short putt on the first playoff hole that gave Bachman the Legends title in the 2024 Senior Stroke Play, Hacker was like Gardiner. He could enjoy the drive home to St. George as a repeat champion.

“Just got to keep fighting, that’s all,” Hacker said of responding after his missed opportunities via three-putts on No. 18 and No. 1. “Rob kept fighting the whole way and I gave it to him for a while, but I feel like I took it there. So I feel pretty good about it.”

The UGA doesn’t name a Legends Player of the Year. Otherwise, Hacker would be a runaway winner. “It’s been a phenomenal year,” he said.

2025 Utah Senior State Amateur championship recap written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.

UGA Retains the Shootout Trophy at Bloomington CC

(2019 Utah Shootout team (Left to Right) Denny Job, Derek Penman, Kurt Owen, David Jennings, Randy Hicken, Nuny Khamkin, Reed Nielsen, Jeff Jolley, Luke Crapo and Dan Horner. Missing from photo: Kurt Jamison and Annette Gaiotti)

By Randy Dodson

Every half point counted this year at the Utah Arizona Shootout.

The Utah Golf Association and Arizona Golf Association teams finished deadlocked at 36 points a piece after two days of Ryder Cup style competition at Bloomington Country Club Oct. 21-22 in St. George, Utah.

It’s just the second tie in the 28-year history of the event with the UGA dominating the series at 19-8-2 in the home and home competition.

This year’s version was played out over two days of Foursome (alternate shot), Four-Ball (best-ball) and Singles, in match-play formats, with a point for the front, back and overall available in each match, at the newly renovated country club course.

The morning Foursome matches on day one resulted in a slight 9.5 to 8.50 lead for Arizona with Arizona’s women, Madison Kerley and Sofia Anokhina, a pair of former Arizona State University golfers, securing all three points in their match against Utah’s Annette Gaiotti and Nuny Khamken. Utah’s Dan Horner and David Jennings also failed to secure any points as Arizona’s Chris Thomas and Adam Walicki carded another shutout, collecting three points. Utah’s Mid-Am champ Reed Neilsen and Luke Crapo carded a 3-point win for the UGA.

After the afternoon Four-Ball competition it was evident that Arizona’s women had just too much firepower as they collected another 3-0 shutout over their UGA counterparts. Utah’s Neilson, now paired with Kurt Owen, proved to be the day one MVP for Utah as they won with another 3-0 score in the Four-Ball format. With Randy Hicken/Kurt Jamison and David Jennings/Jeff Jolley grabbing 2.5 points each, Team UGA won the afternoon 10 to 8 and took a 1-point lead into the following day Singles matches at 18.5 to 17.5.

The AGA’s Anokhina, a former junior champion from Moscow, Russia and a competitor in this year’s Augusta Women’s Amateur championship, and partner Kerley, a former Arizona High School State Champion, U.S. Women’s Open competitor and four-year player for the Sun Devils, stole the show once again for Team AGA as the both carded 3-0 wins in the final day Singles matches before most of the men even made the turn.

But it wasn’t enough for Arizona to take home the trophy as Utah won the Singles portion of the event 18.5 to 17.5.

The UGA’s Dan Horner got a 3-0 win on the final day with Denny Job and Jennings carding 2.5 point wins in their matches. Crapo and Neilsen and Owen won with 2 points each. The UGA lost only two matches on the day which was just enough to secure a 36 to 36 tie and keep the trophy in the UGA office for another year.

Horner said, “Arizona had a very talented team this year which included two really good women who won all their points. For us to retain the cup, even if it was a tie, says a lot about the quality of players we have.”

The 12-person UGA team included: Nuny Khamken, Annette Gaiotti, Kurt Jamison, Randy Hicken, Luke Crapo, Denny Job, Reed Nielsen, Kurt Owen, Derek Penman, Dan Horner, Jeff Jolley and David Jennings.

The Utah Arizona Shootout will be contested next year in Arizona and then return to Utah in 2021 for the 30th anniversary of the competition

Full Results CLICK HERE:

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/2260381

Brimley & Jennings, Siddens & Avant, Parkinson & Peacock Win Utah Four-Ball Championships

By Jesse Dodson

When two golfers ranked within the top five of the Utah Golf Association’s Men’s Player Performance Rankings (PPR) team up to play in the Utah Four-Ball Championship at Ogden Country Club, they’re going to be hard to beat.

Ryan Brimley and David Jennings got off to a quick start in round one on September 16^th, firing a (-9) 63 in the stroke play, Four-Ball format, creating a five-stroke lead over Corey Matthews & Denny Job and past State Am winners Darrin Overson & Dan Horner.

“We just tried to shoot the lowest score for the day and just beat the guys in our group,” Jennings said of their strategy going into the final round with a five-stroke lead.

“We didn’t discuss much before but I didn’t think much needed to be said,” Brimley added. “Dave and I have different but similar games so it’s nice to feed off each other… I would say the strategy was just to make as many birdies as possible… With a larger lead it’s different, but you just have to go out and be aggressive like we usually are.”

The Brimley and Jennings duo had teamed up once before the Four-Ball Championship, in a failed attempt at a USGA qualifier. It didn’t seem to have any impact on their second go around with 16-total birdies between the two days at Ogden CC.

“Would’ve been fun to have it be match play,” Brimley said, “but stroke play is fun cause you have to put two good scores together.”

Brimley and Jennings gave themselves enough of a cushion to afford a few bogies coming down the stretch in the final round. They won the championship at 13-under with a two-stroke lead over Matthews & Job and Overson & Horner.

“This is my second UGA Four-Ball win, so that was good,” Jennings said. “It was good to finally get a win this year. I have been runner up too many times this year to count.”

This win places Jennings in third place on the season-long UGA PPR list with only two events left on the PPR schedule.

“I will first say, all wins feel good,” Brimley said, now fifth on the PPR list. “It’s definitely different from the other UGA championships with it being a team match, but it’s nice to have as good of a partner as Dave when you do something silly. We felt a little down on ourselves with how we played the back and let the field back into it but a win is a win and that’s the goal every time.”

Kirk Siddens and Karl Avant won the Senior Division with a pair of 66’s at 12-under, two strokes better than runner-up finishers Ron Davis and Randy Hicken.

In the Super Senior Division, Dan Parkinson and Craig Peacock etched out a one-stroke victory over Michael Hacker and Rob Bachman with scores of (-5) 69-70.

With their wins, Brimley, Jennings, Siddens and Avant get an automatic spot on the Southwest Team Challenge team. The two winnings teams combine to make one of the UGA’s three teams in the event.

In addition to that, Brimley and Jennings plan on playing together again in November in the USGA Four-Ball Qualifier at Entrada Country Club.

Full Results: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/2207463

Oakridge Wins Private 8-man Title

The 8-man team from Oakridge Country Club took full advantage of hosting the final to squeak out a 19-17 win.  The team of Joe Summerhays, Curtis Cook, Alex Smith, Taylor Berbert, Gavin Campbell, Alex Lawrence, Scott Lieber and Gordon Raymond narrowly defeated the team from The Country Club to claim the title.  Full results below!

Alpine CC Continues dominance in Private Senior 8-man finals

Alpine Country Club has been a juggernaut in the Private Senior 8-man competition for many years and 2019 was more of the same. The team of Steven Borget, Brent Bryson, Ron Davis, Dan Hatch, Dan Parkinson, Phil Harker, Craig Peacock and Rick Bodell beat The Country Club 25-11 in the final to claim another title.  Full results below!

The Country Club claims title in first year in Super Senior division

In their first year competing in the Super Senior Division of the UGA’s Private 8-man team league, The Country Club earned their first title.  The team of Kurt Bernhisel, Heber Jacobsen, Andrew Leitch, and John Anderson cruised in the final match taking 11 out of the possible 18 total points.  Full match results are below!

Six players with Utah ties face uphill climb heading into U.S. Amateur Stroke Play Second Round at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club

By Garrett Johnston for Fairways Media

Pinehurst, NC – Utah is well represented this year at Pinehurst for the U.S. Amateur with six players having Utah ties in the field of 312.

Leading the charge is last month’s newly crowned U.S. Junior Amateur winner Preston Summerhays.

The 16 year old sees Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4 is the other course this week for stroke play, as being a daunting test for this field.

“There’s a reason why they’ve had so many U.S. Opens here the last few years,” Summerhays said. “The greens are really firm; they are super elevated with a lot of runoffs.

“This course is super amazing.”

High praise from the young player who until Saturday had never played No. 2.

What kind of score would be good for this week at No. 2?

“Even par and I’d be really happy, but honestly one, two, three over is not bad either,” Summerhays said. “The course is just playing that tough.”

Two-time Utah State Amateur champion Preston Summerhays finished 4-over par today on the No.2 course at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club. Photo Copyright: USGA/Michael Reaves

BYU upcoming senior Peter Kuest, playing in his second U.S. Amateur, also feels No. 2 will be a daunting test this week.

“Anything around even par is going to be a great score especially with the greens firm and fast,” Kuest said. “If you get on the wrong side of these pins you could be playing ping pong pretty quickly.

“You’ve got to be careful with where you leave the ball and try to give yourself as many uphill looks as you can while trying to hit as many greens as possible.”

This is Kuest’s second visit to Pinehurst after he teamed with fellow BYU senior and teammate Spencer Dunaway for the U.S. Amateur Four Ball here three years ago.

For incoming BYU freshman Cole Ponich of Farmington this is already his ninth competition on the Pinehurst courses.

He played in the U.S. Kids World Championship seven times, starting at age seven and finished second in the 2017 North and South Junior Championship.

“I’m pretty used to the grass around the greens because it’s pretty different. I feel like I know now the spots you want to miss it, and these greens are as tough as any in the country.”

Ponich qualified for his first U.S. Amateur in his first shot at qualifying. His playing schedule had always conflicted with the Utah U.S. Amateur qualifier in the past, but this year he was able to prioritize this and got through at Alpine Country Club.

The 19 year old first started hitting plastic golf balls at 18 months in his parent’s house with a cut down iron as tall as one’s foot to shin.

Now he’s playing in amateur golf’s biggest event.

Denny Job also got through qualifying at Alpine. The Murray resident who caddies at Promontory Club was happy to invite his dad Ryan, an accomplished Utah golf player, to carry the bag during this special week; the 29 year old’s first U.S. Amateur.

“It’s pretty cool to have him on the bag,” Job said of his father who also looped for him at the U.S. Mid-Am last year.

“I wouldn’t want anybody else on the bag. It’s good having him here,” Job said. “He taught me this great game since I was really young (seven) and it’s just awesome to be able to give back to him.”

Ryan feels the same way.

“It’s pretty awesome for me, the love for a father for a son, I needed to be here,” Ryan said.

Job of course is good friends with Zac Blair. The two have known each other since age 7, playing junior golf together and playing golf a bunch during high school and after as well.

How many rounds have they played together?

“Thousands,” Blair said. “Five or six years of playing almost every day when it’s not snowing.”

Blair made his major championship debut at Pinehurst No. 2 when he made the cut and finished 40th in 2014.

What’s been his advice to Denny?

“He told me to hit shots to the middle of the greens, and to putt to the edges,” Job said.

University of Utah junior Tristan Mandur made it this year as well to Pinehurst.

“I am very excited to play in the U.S. Am, as it is my first one, and for it to be at Pinehurst makes it even better,” Mandur said.

This is also his first visit to Pinehurst.

University of Utah junior Tristan Mandur plays his second round of the U.S. Amateur stroke play qualifying tomorrow on the No.4 course at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club. Photo Copyright: USGA/Michael Reaves.

And the final member of this year’s Utah contingent is Mandur’s teammate, senior Jordan Costello.

The Pinedale, Wyoming native says he’s “fired up for this week.”

He played the U.S. Kids World Championships five years in a row at Pinehurst from ages 10 to 14, but none of those times did he play No. 2. This week is his first look at it. This week also marks the third U.S. Amateur for the business major.

At a 77.06 stroke average through the Day 1 of stroke play, Pinehurst No. 2 is playing more than seven strokes over its par of 70. Following tomorrow second round of stroke play the field will be cut to the low 64 players. Match play begins on Wednesday.

U.S. Amateur Stroke Play Round 1 results:

Pinehurst No.4 T132 Cole Ponich (+4) 74

Pinehurst No. 4 T132 Denny Job (+4) 74

Pinehurst No.4 T152 Peter Kuest (+5) 75

Pinehurst No. 2 T204 Preston Summerhays (+7) 77

Pinehurst No.2 T224 Tristan Mandur (+8) 78

Pinehurst No.2 T281 Jordan Costello (+12) 82

Day One of the 121st State Amateur Yields Few Surprises

By Randy Dodson

Photo Credit: Jared Lloyd/Daily Herald, Nathan Ouimette lines up a putt on his way to an opening round lead of (-7) 65 at Monday’s Utah State Amateur Stroke Play Qualifying tournament at Soldier Hollow Golf Course. BYU’s Spencer Dunaway (R) and caddy Austin Christensen look on.

Utah Golf Association Director of Rules and Competitions Easton Folster will sleep well tonight knowing that the opening round of the 121^st Utah State Amateur at Soldier Hollow Golf Course yielded few surprises Monday.

A handful of impressive scores are at the top of the day-one stroke play qualifying leaderboard, the expected afternoon winds weren’t too crazy, defending champion Preston Summerhays played well, his sister Grace didn’t shoot herself out of match play possibilities and the Gold Course held its own.

“Overall I’d say it has been a pretty successful day,” said Folster.

Nathan Ouimette of Highland, Utah turned in the low score of the day with a (-7) 65 on the Silver Course to sit alone at the top of the leaderboard. Ouimette had a game plan in mind of not only keeping his tee shots in play but also in the right position. Playing in the second group of the morning, Ouimette enjoyed some pretty calm conditions but also “hit the ball where I wanted to” and “read the greens pretty well.”

Ouimette, the lone surprise of the day, is not well-known in Utah golf circles yet; having played baseball at Lone Peak High School and spending his freshman year (2018-19) of college playing golf for Southern Virginia University, where he earned All-State First Team honors from the Virginia Sports Information Directors.

Reigning champion Summerhays played “really aggressively” going for each par 5 in two and “trying to make as many birdies as possible.” Also playing the Silver Course but in the last pairing of the morning wave, Summerhays carded six birdies on the day and one bogey when he found the water on the par 5 10^th hole. Summerhays turned in a (-5) 67 for the day and is tied for second place with Park City’s Colton Tanner.

Grace Summerhays, only the fourth woman to qualify for the State Amateur and the youngest at just 14-years old, finished with a 2-over 74 on the Silver Course and while she hasn’t shot herself out of match play, she will need a lower round tomorrow to comfortably get in the round of 64 matches.

Brigham Gibbs, a former Utah Senior Amateur champion turned in the best score of the day from the Gold Course with (-4) 68 and is tied with University of Utah golfer Payton Hastings for fourth place.

Golfers will alternate courses and morning/afternoon waves for tomorrow’s final round of stroke play qualifying where the low 64 players will be seeded into Wednesday’s match play. Currently there are 21 players tied for the 50^th spot at 2-over par 74. Thursday’s play at Soldier Hollow will feature both the round of 32 and round of 16 matches.

For complete leaderboard and round two tee times please click here:

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/1880123

Randy Dodson is the publisher of Fairways magazine, the official publication of the Utah Golf Association and president of Fairways Media.

Kuest, BYU Win PING Cougar Classic

Peter Kuest, individual winner at a record 17-under for the tournament, led the BYU Cougars to the PING Cougar Classic win Saturday at Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah. The Cougars won at 24-under par, 5-strokes better than Boise State.

With six holes to play BYU Head Coach Bruce Brockbank told his team, “We need to go!” The Cougars responded with 13 birdies as a team, six coming from Rhett Rasmussen and Kelton Hirsch (3 each),  to claim the win.

Kuest’s rounds of 64-66-69 – 199 included a 18-foot birdie on the 18th-hole, to reach 17-under, believed to be the new low scoring record for the PING Cougar Classic tournament., according to Brockbank. The individual win is the fifth champion’s trophy of the season for Kuest.

Photo Credit: Fairways Media/Randy Dodson

Peter Kuest, individual winner at a record 17-under for the tournament, led the BYU Cougars to the PING Cougar Classic win Saturday at Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah. The Cougars won at 24-under par, 5-strokes better than Boise State.

With six holes to play BYU Head Coach Bruce Brockbank told his team, “We need to go!” The Cougars responded with 13 birdies as a team, six coming from Rhett Rasmussen and Kelton Hirsch (3 each),  to claim the win.

Kuest’s rounds of 64-66-69 – 199 included a 18-foot birdie on the 18th-hole, to reach 17-under, believed to be the new low scoring record for the PING Cougar Classic tournament., according to Brockbank. The individual win is the fifth champion’s trophy of the season for Kuest.

Photo Credit: Fairways Media/Randy Dodson

UGA Crowns Women’s Champs at Spring Open

By Randy Dodson

For the second time in three years Nuny Kham-one and Annette Gaiotti played to each other’s strengths and were crowned champions of the Utah Golf Association’s Women’s Spring Open.

Starting the final round at St. George City, Utah’s Sunbrook Golf Course four-points behind the Park City duo of Karen Seaman and Connie Barnhart, Gaiotti thought they would have to get to 63 points on the day to take home the champions’ medals.

They got there and then some.

On the strength of seven total birdies Team Kham-one/Gaiotti scored a final round 68 points in the team modified Stableford scoring championship, a women’s Player Performance Rankings event, to catch and pass Seaman and Barnhart.

“We both made good putts on the downhill par 5 6^th hole on the Pointe nine to get us going and provide some momentum, said Gaiotti, a veteran of many UGA women’s championships.

“I’ve been just skiing all winter but for the last month I’ve been in Hawaii putting on Bermuda greens, so it took a little while for the putter to warm up here.”

Gaiotti contributed five birdies in the final round compared to just two birdies the day before at Sky Mountain Golf Course in Hurricane, Utah.  Kham-one/Gaiotti turned in a 36-hole effort of 59-68 – 127 points edging Seamon/Barnhart’s 63-57 -120 points for the win.

“I think the difference for us was the back nine here at Sunbrook,” said Park Meadows Country Club member Barnhart. “Neither one of us were that familiar with the Black Rock course.”

Seamon, a member at Jeremy Ranch Country Club, and Barnhart could only manage three total birdies for the final round.

“We help each other a lot,” said Kham-one. “Playing with Annette is really great. She keeps me focused and helps me manage my game.”

Kham-one contributed a couple birdies of her own today at Sunbrook. “My chipping played a huge part over the last two days. I was able to make better putts being closer to the hole.”

The Utah Golf Association hosts the Women’s Spring Open as an early season “ice breaker” event for association’s members providing another opportunity to play in a competitive but flighted event on the heels of Winterchamps and before the tournament season begins in northern Utah. The combined team Stableford scoring provides for a fun team event with the forgiving nature of Stableford scoring for women looking to knock off a little winter rust.

UGA Executive Director Jacob Miller said, “Before the merger of the UGA and the Utah Women’s Golf Association, this event was hosted in Mesquite, Nevada every other year. We are in discussions with the Southern Nevada Golf Association to potentially co-op this event in the future.

“Many of the ladies miss playing the event in Nevada so we see an opportunity to partner with a neighboring association to not only add more players to the field but to allow for our ladies to be hosted by a neighboring association. We hope to make this discussion a reality in 2020.”

Click here for complete results of the 2019 UGA Women’s Spring Open: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/1770851