With birdies on the final two holes of the scheduled 18-hole championship match, Mountain View Golf Course PGA Professional Mark Owen defeated Bloomington Country Club’s PGA Director of Golf Scott Brandt to claim the Utah PGA Senior Match Play Championship at Willow Creek Country Club, July 20.
The Senior Match Play Championship launches what promises to be a busy summer for the Utah PGA championship season and is the precursor to the Mel Duke Utah Senior Open July 26-27 at Toana Vista Golf Course.
Owen and Brandt reached the championship match defeating Southern Utah County Professionals Tracy Zobell (Gladstan GC) and Ryan Rhees (The Oaks GC) in semifinal matches earlier Thursday morning. Owen defeated Zobell 3 & 2 and Brandt got by Rhees in 19 holes at Willow Creek.
Owen and Brandt, both former Match Play champions, played what Owen called a “steady match” which is really how Owen prefers to play when going head to head in match play.
“Stroke play is a little bit harder for me because most of the time I don’t go really low with my scores. But when it is match play, par is a good score against an opponent. You know you can par somebody to death and if you make a few birdies, that goes a long way with making 16 or 15 pars,” explained Owen.
That strategy played well for Owen in the championship match as Brandt held a 1up lead heading into the par 5 17th.
Going for the green in two, Owen’s second shot ran through the right side bunker that faces the green and settled in the grass on the downslope of the backside of the bunker.
Brandt went the traditional route and laid up his second shot in order to hit a wedge into the green. Unfortunately his third shot was “two yards too far” and bounced into the rough behind the green.
“I thought it was really good,” Brandt said. “If it lands about two yards shorter it’s going to go right back to the hole.”
Both players hit remarkable chip shots onto the green but Owen made his birdie putt to win the hole and tie the match heading to the 18th hole.
With another birdie at the last, Owen claimed the Senior Match Play champion’s title for 2023.
“Scott Brandt is amazing. He’s so good and just a grinder,” said Owen. “Tracy (Zobell) and I were talking about that this morning. You never can count on him doing anything really crazy stupid. He’s a pretty solid player and he’s won many events like this. He’s a past champion of this tournament. You always have to pay attention (when) playing him.”
Owen said, “I’ve always loved playing this course. This course looks well to my eye, it has a lot of different shots. You hit a lot of different iron shots, a lot of different wedge shots, and there’s some risk-rewards.”
“This was really fun,” Brandt said. “It’s what makes this job worth having to be honest with you. Just to be able to compete with these guys and have fun doing it. The day-to-day stuff gets a little monotonous. When you break away for a day or two and compete with these guys that’s what makes it worth having.”
The 2023 Utah PGA Senior Match Play Championship began in May with 32 players at Stonebridge Golf Course for two rounds before moving on to Bountiful Ridge for the Quarterfinals June 27th. Click here to see the complete Senior Match Play Championship bracket.
Story and photos by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.