Author: Jesse Dodson
Sunset View Golf Course Head Professional Casey Fowles’ game clicked at the right moment with a victory at the 2018 America First Davis Park Open on September 6th at Davis Park Golf Course.
With rounds of (-6) 65 Fowles and Joe Summerhays finished tied and ahead of an Omega Utah Section Player of the Year-packed field. Any playoff at Davis Park Golf Course brings excitement with the drivable par-four 18th hole, and the extra hole between Fowles and Summerhays was no different.
Teeing off first, Fowles drove the green and left himself around 20 feet for eagle. Summerhays found the front-right bunker but escaped easily to inside 10 feet for birdie. Fowles’ eagle came up short but left him a tap-in birdie, while Summerhays’ effort lipped-out.
“It’s a fun hole to hit driver on,” said Fowles of the playoff hole. “I was just trying to get it up there somewhere on the right side and have a chip at it. I couldn’t’ see it from the tee but got up there and it was kind of lucky for it to end up where it was.”
Fowles had a near blemish-free round with seven birdies and one bogey. With a hot start on the back nine, birding three of the first four holes, luck wasn’t why Fowles came through with a win.
“I got off to an odd start cause I made a couple birdies early then stalled out for a little while,” Fowles continued. I started hitting some good drives and got it into play, had some good iron shots and made a couple putts. It all just started to click towards the back nine.”
The Davis Park Open is one of the few tournaments left before the Section Championship at Toana Vista Golf Course in Wendover on September 18-19, which is just one reason the field at the Davis Park Open is always so strong. The current top-five in the Player of the Year race finished T6 or better at Davis Park.
“Anytime you can play good it’s a good boost to the confidence,” Fowles said about winning before heading to the Section Championship. “I’ve actually kind of struggled in this tournament the last couple years. For me I kind of looked at it like a mental warm-up trying to get my head back into it. It was fun to get back into the competition and play well.”
Chris Moody, who finished T4 at Davis Park, sits in first in the Player of the Year list, followed next by Tommy Sharp, Zach Johnson, Matt Baird and Summerhays. Fowles currently sits in 7th.