USGA Girls’ Junior Amateur Qualifier

By Kellen Denkers

With only one spot available at the USGA Girls’ Junior Amateur Qualifier held at Bonneville Golf Club, the competition was tight from start to finish. Bhadharanida Ponmani secured medalist honors with an impressive even 72.

It was a great day for junior golf in Utah, with Bonneville providing a quality test and excellent conditions for the field. A big thank you to Bonneville Golf Club for being outstanding hosts once again.

The 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship will be held July 14–19 at Atlanta Athletic Club (Riverside Course) in Johns Creek, Ga. Congratulations to all of today’s qualifier—we look forward to seeing her perform on the national stage.

For full results, click here.

USGA Junior Amateur Qualifier

By Kellen Denkers

With only three spots available at the USGA Junior Amateur Qualifier held at Bonneville Golf Club, the competition was tight from start to finish. Ty Cottle secured medalist honors with an impressive 5-under 67, followed closely by Brock Porter, who finished at 4-under 68. Weston Abbott claimed the final qualifying spot after an intense four-man playoff, carding a 2-under 70.

It was a great day for junior golf in Utah, with Bonneville providing a quality test and excellent conditions for the field. A big thank you to Bonneville Golf Club for being outstanding hosts once again.

The 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship will be held July 21–26 at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas. Congratulations to all of today’s qualifiers—we look forward to seeing them represent Utah on the national stage.

For full results, click here.

Field Set for 31st Utah Senior State Amateur Championship

By Bailey Bagley

Four qualifiers held at Glendale GC, The Oaks at Spanish Fork, Sunbrook GC and The Barn GC helped set the field for the 31st Utah Senior State Amateur Championship. 

Our first Qualifier kicked off at Glendale GC that saw David Fisher -1 (71) medal in the Legend division, Dan Hatch -6 (66) in the Super-Senior and our Senior medalist was Chuck O’Brien -7 (65). Our next qualifier at The Oaks at Spanish Fork brought us our next group of qualifiers as Todd Barker +5 (77) medaled in the Legend division, our Super-Seniors were co-medalists as Steven Borget and Mike Holm both shot +3 (75), finally we had our Senior medalist John Owen score the lowest of all players on the day with -4 (68). 

The Sunbrook qualifier in St. George saw us have our Legend medalist being Michael Hacker Even (72), our Super-Senior as James Renick +4 (76), and our senior medalist as Tim Golder -3 (69). Our last qualifier at The Barn in Ogden brought us our last group of qualifiers as we saw Robert Underwood medal in the Legend Division at Even (71), Super-Senior Brad Kooyman +2 (73) and our last Senior co-medalists Rich Bukovinsky and Jon Rhodes shot -5 (66). 

Exemptions include the likes of our previous two Senior State Amateur Champions Brigham Gibbs and Darren Kuhn and last year’s runner up Shane McMillan in the Senior Division.

The championship includes 84 players who will be battling it out as 12 compete in the Legend division, 24 in the Super-Senior and 48 in the Senior. The championship is set to be at Hubbard Golf Course at Hill Air Force Base on August 26-29. 

For the Championship webpage, Click Here.

Utah State Amateur: BYU teammates, homegrown Utahns will meet in final match

When he gets going well on the golf course, Cole Ponich has that Rory McIlroy bounce as he walks down the fairway. The way he’s playing this week, Cooper Jones thinks he could beat almost anyone.

Everybody gains confidence by reaching the final match of the Utah State Amateur Championship, and the degree of self-belief of these BYU teammates hardly could be higher, going into Saturday’s 36-hole duel at Ogden Golf & Country Club.

BYU teammates Cole Ponich and Cooper Jones will face each other in the championship match of the 126th Utah State Amateur Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. at Ogden G&CC. (Photos: Fairways Media/Randy Dodson)

Jones, a 3-and-2 winner over Weber State alumnus Brendan Thomas in Friday’s semifinals, has needed to play No. 18 only once in five matches. Ponich, who beat University of Utah golfer Davis Johnson 4 and 3 in the afternoon, has navigated a tougher road, including a 22-hole battle in the round of 64. Regardless, each player likes where he is and how he got here.

Cooper Jones watches his drive on hole 14 at Ogden G&CC. (Photo: Fairways Media/Randy Dodson

“Honestly, with my game right now and how I’ve been playing … I don’t think anybody can compete with me if I putt as well as I’ve been putting and hit the ball as well as I’ve been hitting,” Jones said.

Cole Ponich attributes his resurgence to “being back in the zone” as he told writer Kurt Kragthorpe. (Photo: Fairways Media/Randy Dodson)

Ponich: “It’s pretty cool. The last couple rounds, I’ve felt myself go back into that zone that I haven’t felt in a long time.”

The result is what appears to be a historic final pairing in the 126th State Am. A meeting of current BYU golfers happened in Provo in 1980, when Erich Gott beat Jerry Rose, but they were Californians. Jones, of Lone Peak High School, and Ponich, of Davis, are homegrown Utahns.

Jones is motivated by knowing this is his last shot at a title for two years, with a church mission scheduled to begin in September. What’s more, he can join Zac Jones as the first pair of Utah-born brothers to claim State Am titles. Three members of the Idaho-based Hiskey family won Utah’s premier trophy, ending with Babe Hiskey’s victory in Ogden in 1962.

Former Utah State Amateur champions, Babe, Sonny and Jimmy Hiskey. (Photo: The Hiskey family)

Neither finalist has come close to this stage of the State Am, with Jones having by far the most attempts lately. He went 1-3 in match play the previous three years, but has overcome those scars this week. In Friday morning’s quarterfinals, Jones was a 4-and-3 winner over Utah Tech’s Zach Felts, who had beaten him in last summer’s round of 64 at The Country Club in Salt Lake City.

Ponich made a rare State Am appearance in the pandemic-delayed 2020 event in September at Jeremy Ranch Golf & Country Club, losing in the first round. Ponich beat former BYU teammate Elijah Turner 3 and 1 in the quarterfinals, while Johnson was a 3-and-1 winner over Aidan Thain of Salt Lake City.

Thomas deserves credit for delivering Friday’s most memorable shot, in the only one of the six matches that went to No. 18. Keith Hansen of the Utah Golf Association set up the par-3 hole at only 128 yards, with the hole location on the front-right area of the green, flanked by a bunker and steep dropoff. Tied with Jackson Rhees, Thomas went right at the flagstick and ended up making a 6-foot birdie putt for the win.

Day five recap of the 126th Utah State Amateur written by Fairways Media senior writer, Kurt Kragthorpe. 

126th State Amateur Qualifier Co-Medalists Stun at Stonebridge

By Bailey Bagley

Oscar Maxfield and Elliot Bond were crowned as co-medalists at Stonebridge Golf Club both scoring a stunning -7(65) as they pushed through the heat of the day and came out on top. 

Oscar was able to score not only two eagles on par 5’s but also secured six birdies on his stellar performance. If it only weren’t for the three bogeys he had he would have been able to come away as the sole medalist with an even more incredible score but still he prevailed and rallied for the co-medalist title. 

Elliot on the other hand birdied almost every hole on the front 9 besides the one bogey he had on the day and the two pars. Elliot was able to keep a level head and the momentum carried him into the back 9 as he stayed on par and even birdied two holes to see him lock in the title of co-medalist. 

11 players made the cut(-1) and will advance to the 126th Utah State Amateur, which will be held at Ogden Golf and Country Club in just a few short weeks from July 8-13. 

To see the full results of this qualifier: Stonebridge Results

USGA Junior Amateur Qualifier

With only 4 spots available for the USGA Junior Amateur Qualifier at Stonebridge Golf Club, Rex Wilson was able to secure his spot at -4 (68) and the last three spots were fought for in a 5 person playoff. The five-person playoff came for scores of -3 (69) and ended with Parker Bunn, Carter Gaede, and Jackson Shelley solidifying their spots.  Rex Wilson had a great round with only one bogey and 5 birdies. This gave him the opportunity to pull away from his competitors and finished as the medalist.

The final spots were claimed by Parker Bunn, Carter Gaede, and Jackson Shelley. While the first alternate spot went to Lincoln Blake and the second alternate went to Andrew Hinson. You can follow these golfers at the championship tournament which will be at Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan

Honoring Joe Watts

As a representative of the Utah Golf Association, I would like to express our deepest sympathies to the Watts family as they mourn the loss of Joe Watts.

His influential leadership as the President of the UGA in 1988 and later as the UGA Executive Director from 1990-2008 greatly shaped and contributed to the growth of the Utah Golf Association.

Joe Watts has left an enduring impact on the UGA that will always be remembered. We stand alongside the Utah golf community in honoring his dedication to the game of golf, and we are dedicated to carrying forward the legacy he has left behind.

Funeral information will be posted when available from the family.

Easton Folster
Executive Director
Utah Golf Association

Score posting season will be inactive in Northern Utah until March 15th, 2024.

If we can still play, why do we stop posting in the winter?

Course and slope rating represent the difficulty of a course played under normal or mid-season playing conditions. The unpredictability of off-season conditions – a lack of foliage, lessened green speeds, reduced bounce and roll – can greatly affect a course’s difficulty. The course conditions during winter months are inconsistent with the way a course was rated; posting these scores could affect a player’s index.

A handicap index is defined as “potential scoring ability on a course of standard playing difficulty.” Consider a player on a course that, during the winter, was extraordinarily easy because the tees were moved up and there was no rough. Such a course would no longer reflect conditions under which it was rated, so accepting even a few scores could change a player’s index. The converse holds true for those facing quite difficult conditions, such as wet fairways or strong winter winds.

That’s why many associations in areas where winter can be harsh set an inactive season, which often lasts from November to the middle of March. To provide consistency in posting of scores across a state or region, all clubs within the association’s jurisdiction, whether member clubs of the association or not, must follow the inactive season.

Can I post rounds I’ve played anywhere else?

If you travel to St. George area, you may continue posting scores through the winter. If you travel out of the state to play, please check with a golf course staff member to see if you can post scores from rounds played at their course.

More resources and information can be found online at UGA.org, or by calling the UGA Office at 801-563-0400.

Kareen Larson Qualifies for U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur

Two-time Utah Women’s Four-Ball champ and TalonsCove GC General Manager Kareen Larson won medalist honors at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur Sectional qualifier to earn a spot in the 2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, held Sept. 30-Oct. 5, 2023, at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, AZ. 

The one-day qualifier was held Aug. 17, at Boulder City Golf Course. There were six states, as well as Canada, represented in the tournament.

Larson will be making her first trip to the national event and can’t wait for the opportunity.

The U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur will be Kareen Larson’s first USGA national championship experience. Photo: SNGA

“It’s going to be a fun time,” she said. “I just turned 50 in March so this is my first big event. I’m excited.”

She said her game wasn’t in tip-top shape but she hung in.

“I was chipping well and getting up and down,” she said. “My putting was also good and really made a big difference.”

With it being a one-day event, she knew the pressure would be on.

“The one-day qualifying is way harder than a two-day event,” she said. “You just don’t have the time to make up for any mistakes. You’ve just got the one chance.” She finished her round fairly early and then played a waiting game.

“I knew anything could happen,” she said. “We saw the scoring through the 14th hole but a lot of players still had the par-5 coming in and No. 18 wasn’t playing that long. It just turned into a waiting game.”

It gave her a chance to reflect on her round.

“Yeah, I did think back,” she said. “I lipped out a putt for birdie on the last par-5 and thought…if I had just made that putt. But I’m happy with the way I played. All you can do is give it your best and see what happens.”

Utah’s Nuny Kham-one Khamken also played in the national qualifier finishing (+8).

U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur Qualifier recap story written by Bill Bowman. Photos by Fairways Media and Southern Nevada Golf Association. Click here for final leaderboard from Boulder City Golf Course.

Kelsey Chugg adds Utah Women’s Stroke Play to Career Win Column

Kelsey Chugg’s match-play record locally and nationally is so remarkable that it has created a myth about her golf game. It is simply not accurate to say the five-time Women’s State Amateur champion succeeds only in that format, because she’s also a four-time winner of the Utah Golf Association’s Mary Lou Baker Open in medal play.

“I know I need to work on a few things going into that event (Utah Women’s State Amateur),” Kelsey Chugg said, but Friday’s victory “definitely gives me confidence. It was good to hit some quality shots under pressure.”

Yet until Friday at Park City Golf Club, this part was true: Chugg had never won the Utah Women’s Stroke Play Championship. And she knew it.

In the middle of the back nine of the final round, having made two bogeys in three holes, Chugg said, “I had to have a little talk with myself, because I think it was in my head: ‘I haven’t won this tournament before.’ … To finally break through feels good.”

Runner-up Kerstin Ngakuru

The Stroke Play event was created in 2014 as a complement to the Women’s State Am, once that historic tournament returned to match play. Chugg (70-74) became the Stroke Play’s10^th different winner in these 10 years. She finished one stroke ahead of BYU’s Kerstin Ngakuru (75-70), who made quite a comeback after starting the tournament with five bogeys in six holes.

UVU’s Abbey Porter celebrates a chip-in on No.9.

Bailey Anderson (77-70) and Utah Valley University’s Abbey Porter (71-76), who briefly held the lead after birdieing No. 1 as Chugg bogeyed, tied for third place. BYU’s Lila Galea’i (73-75), the 2021 champion and this year’s Mary Lou Baker Open winner, slipped to fifth.

Chugg took a one-stroke lead into the final round, evoking her memory of early June, when she led by three shots in the Mary Lou Baker Open at Hobble Creek GC before fading to third with a 77. “That crossed my mind today,” she said. “I tried to tell myself to just stay calm coming into today. I was pretty nervous, actually. It was definitely in my mind, like, ‘Don’t blow it again.’ ”

That didn’t happen, thanks largely to her birdie on the par-5 No. 16, where Ngakuru (playing two groups ahead) had made a bogey. Ngakuru, the former Kerstin Fotu, finished second for the third straight year, while needing only a Stroke Play title to complete her career collection of Utah’s four major women’s golf trophies.

Chugg, 32, lacks only a Utah Women’s Open victory to match Tess Blair’s career achievement. Blair, the 2022 Stroke Play champion, didn’t enter this year’s event. She will compete in the 117^th Women’s State Amateur, Aug. 1-4 at Jeremy Ranch Golf & Country Club.

As she drove home past Jeremy Ranch on I-80, Chugg could turn her thoughts to her State Am title defense. “I know I need to work on a few things going into that event,” she said, but Friday’s victory “definitely gives me confidence. It was good to hit some quality shots under pressure.”

Chugg, the associate director of Salt Lake City Golf, collected one of her four Mary Lou Baker Open victories at Park City GC in 2016.

Nuny Kham-one Khamken (84-81) won the Senior competition.

With a field of 44 players, the Stroke Play event awarded flight gross titles within the Championship division to Porter, 14-year-old Molli Mulhall (74-79) and Saydie Wagner (84-79). Nuny Khamone (84-81) won the Senior competition. Playing from different tees, Kris Buchanan (81-84) took the A Flight.

Net titles went to Isabel Gutierrez Paillaud, Annabelle Millard, Whitni Johnson/Corinne Lillywhite, Sharon Briggs and Christina Padan.

Click here for complete Utah Women’s Stroke Play Championship results.

Written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photos by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.