Author: By Aaron Goodman
Tommy Sharp came out the biggest winner in the casino town of Wendover, NV. The Utah PGA Professional Championship held at Toana Vista Golf Course once again provided an exceptional golf experience. And the Wendover Resorts Group delivered an incomparable atmosphere of enjoyment and comradery.
Sharp was clutch coming down the stretch in this year’s Section Championship. He trailed Zach Johnson by 1 stroke going into the final hole. Knowing that he needed a birdie, Sharp stuck his approach to the back-center pin, just 2 feet to the left. Paired in the same group, Johnson’s approach sailed slightly long and into the rough. He chipped it on to about 7 feet right and with ice in his veins, he saved par. Sharp straightforwardly knocked in his birdie and forced a playoff.
Coming into this, the final point’s event for Omega Player of the Year, Sharp trailed Chris Moody, a 5-time Utah PGA Player of the Year by 183.75 points. This narrow margin provided several scenarios where either Moody or Sharp could be the Omega Player of the Year. The simplest scenario being: if either one wins the Section Championship, they will win the Omega Player of the Year. Sharp finished in regulation at -5 and tied for 1st while Moody finished at -4 and tied for 3rd. The one shot difference delivered even more drama as Sharp and Johnson made their way to begin the playoff on the par 4 9th hole. If Sharp wins the playoff, he would have enough points to overtake Moody at the top of the Omega Player of the Year standings. However, a Johnson win would leave Sharp in second and give Moody the Omega Player of the Year by merely 42.75 points. None of that mattered though as Sharp held his own destiny and drained his 8 footer down the hill for birdie. Johnson had a legitimate chance to tie but his birdie just missed. Sharps clutch play clinched the Section Championship as well as the Omega Player of the Year! Congratulations to Tommy Sharp!
Sharp and Moody were already both exempt into the PGA Professional Championship for finishing in the top20 and ties in this year’s PGA Professional Championship held at Sunriver Resort in Oregon. Steve Schneiter has a lifetime exemption for winning back in 1995. The five qualifiers that will that will join those three at next year’s PPC are: Zach Johnson, Matt Baird, Pete Stone, Kury Reynolds, and Joe Summerhays.