Monthly Archives: October 2024

The last decade of Utah high school golf has largely been dominated by Lone Peak. The Knights won nine state championships between 2013-2022 and had one of their golfers win the individual championship four times between 2018-2022. However, last year’s Lone Peak team was dethroaned both as a team and on the individual championship by Corner Canyon and the Chargers’ Bowen Mauss.

This year, the Chargers trailed behind Lone Peak by three strokes after day one. However, in day two Corner Canyon outplayed the Knights by 10 strokes to take its back-to-back state championship with a team score of 538. Lone Peak finished with 545.

“These guys worked so hard,” said Corner Canyon head coach Derek Fox. “Lone Peak has such a good team down there and they make us get better. These boys were ready for today, they said last night they were ready to go and this was our best round of the year. They picked a great day to do it.”

Corner Canyon saw huge improvements all around from day one. The Chargers ended day one with only two players in the top 10, but improved that number to four on Tuesday.

The only thing that sligtly soured the day for Corner Canyon was losing the close individual race between defending medalist Bowen Mauss and two-time medalist Kihei Akina. The scoring margin between Mauss and Akina was razor thin, with Akina entering day two with only a single stroke lead.

In day two, Akina grew his lead to a two-stroke lead on hole two as Akina parred and Mauss had his only bogey of the tournament. Hole eight turned things in favor of Mauss as he birdied and Akina Bogeyed to even the score.

It stayed within a stroke or two through most of day two, but Akina had a monster run in the final five holes to pull away. Akina birdied on holes 14, 15, 16 and 18 to secure his third individual title.

“Me and Bowen, we were in a battle today,” said Akina. “It was cool to see him playing so well and it was really back and forth until that 14th hole where I kind of went on a run there. I’ve come up short a lot this year, so I wanted this one really badly and I went out and got it.”

Akina is just the fourth high school golfer in state history to claim three individual titles, the first to do so since 1999. But Akina’s record-breaking performance didn’t end there. He set a new state record with a 36-hole score of 127, surpassing the previous mark of 128, set by none other than Akina himself in the 2022 state championship.

Despite the record breaking day, it was a mix of excitement and disapointment for Akina, as Lone Peak once again lost to Corner Canyon in the team championship.

“It feels good to get some redemption,” Akina said. “I’m happy to get this one, but I’m a little bit sad for the team. It feels a little bit different without the team victory, but this is still cool for sure.”

Corner Canyon’s Mauss ended his 36-holes with a score of 130, which is the fourth best in state history. While it wasn’t enough to win this years individual title, Mauss still ended his high school carrer with one individual title and back-to-back state titles for his school.

“It’s been really fun, but more important than the trophies is the memories I made with them,” Mauss said. “The biggest part of it is we’ve all been playing together a long time and we got along really well. We have really good team chemistry and I think that helped us throughout the year with wanting to play well for each other.”

6A State Golf Championship recap written by Carson Hilton and published with permission from the Desert News Sports. Photos provided by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.

As Jackson Shelley rolled in an eagle putt from the 14th-hole fringe, his external excitement remained pretty subdued. Internally though, the Skyline senior’s mind was screaming, ‘let’s go.’

Shelley’s eagle helped him increase his lead at the 5A state championships to four strokes, and he made the lead hold up down the stretch to claim 5A medalist for the second time after winning it as a sophomore.

Shelley finished with 13-under, 131 at Glen Eagle Golf Course in Syracuse to finish four strokes ahead of Salem Hills Hills freshman Carson Peterson. It was Peterson’s strong play that made Shelley gamble a bit and take out his driver and go for the green on No. 14 instead of laying up. He felt like he needed a jolt of momentum.

The older Shelley was the catalyst to the success.

“I just can’t say enough about Jackson. He can do everything with the golf club in his hand. I’ve never had anybody hit it as far as he hits it, and he also has soft touch, he can do everything,” said James.

In many ways, Skyline won the tournament with its terrific opening round on Monday. It shot a 274 and held a 13-stroke lead heading into Tuesday’s final round, where it shot a 279. Olympus and Woods Cross each had slight better scores on Tuesday, but the gap was too much to overcome.

“We were still trying to attack and we didn’t try and play less aggressively, but yesterday we were hot, guys were making shots, but today we played a little smarter, ” said James. “Utah golf is getting so good now, there are so many guys now.”

Shelley in particular was red hot on Monday as he shot a 9-under 63 with seven birdies and two eagles. He was 6-under through the first six holes.

“I played well, I hit a lot of good tee balls, and I was playing, so it was a good day,” said Shelley.

On Tuesday he parred his first five holes before finally birdieing No. 6. At the turn he was 12-under.

When Peterson birdied his 12th hole — he started on the back nine — he was only two strokes back at 10-under. Shelley was checking the scores and very aware how close it was and decided to get aggressive on No. 14.

East’s Sean Lampropoulos finished in third place with an 8-under 136, with Bonneville’s Josh Wallis in fourth with a 7-under 138.

The was a four-way tie for fifth between Olympus’ Will Pedersen, Bountiful’s Ty Cottle, Cedar Valley’s Brayden Hester and Shurtz.

“Really proud of Caden Shurtz. What a great job to make it in the top five, that’s amazing for him. He transferred over from Olympus and he’s fit in so well with the team,” said James.

Utah 5A Boy’s State Championship recap written by James Edward and posted with permission by the Deseret News Sports. Photos by Utah Section PGA and the Shelley family.

Everyone’s chasing Team Georgia (Duluth) following their 38-under-par day one performance in the 2024 13u National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship at PGA Frisco’s Fields Ranch West.

Twelve All-Star teams of 96 junior golfers ages 10-13 have trekked to the Home of the PGA of America to compete for the Championship title, broadcast live on ESPN platforms. Days one and two (Friday and Saturday) comprise four, 9-hole rounds played in a team aggregate, stroke play scramble, counting the top three of four pair scores per nine holes. Sunday’s Semifinals and Championship matches are conducted in a match play format.

Finishing five shots back from the lead at 34-under, Team Utah (Lehi) earned top play honors when 12-year-old Emery Johnson aced Hole No. 5 with the ESPN cameras rolling.

“I’ve never had a hole in one before,” Johnson told ESPN’s Michael Collins. “The wind was into us so I clubbed up a little and hit a little draw in there. I knew I hit it good, but I heard it hit the pin and I couldn’t see it. I saw my other teammates on the next hole and they ran toward me. Jraice [Finau] picked me up and everyone was giving me high fives.”

“I was really surprised,” said Jraice Finau, 12. “I thought it hit the cameraman behind. It ended up being perfect. It was instinct to pick him up like that.”

Jraice might still be waiting on his first hole-in-one, but he and the rest of the team have a lot of support in their corner with their coaches: Team Utah Coach Tele Wightman, PGA, and Jraice’s dad and official Team Utah Assistant Coach, Tony Finau.

“It [Assistant Coach] sounds funny, but this week it’s right,” said Tony Finau of his role at the Championship. “There’s nothing like being on a team. Our message to the kids is to enjoy it, soak it in and make these memories count. It’s really cool what the PGA of America has done with PGA Jr. League, and I’m very proud to be a part of it.”

“I watched Georgia play incredibly, and I was proud of our team for staying with them the whole way,” said Wightman. “We’re in really good shape going into tomorrow. We’re going to continue our process and our game plan. They believe in themselves, they trust each other and they just go out and have fun.”

Finau is no stranger to playing on the national stage and on live television, and this week he’s clearly excited to see the kids experience the joys that can come with it.

“To have your first hole in one on ESPN? Come on, now. That’s what dreams are made of. He deserves all the hype he gets for that. He’s a great kid, great player and it’s great to have him as Jraice’s partner.”

Competition resumes tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. CT with two more 9-hole rounds of team aggregate stroke play, and groups and starting times will be available here. The top four teams will advance to the Semifinals on Sunday morning and play for a spot in the Championship Match on Sunday afternoon. The two teams not playing in finals will compete for third place.

For Championship scoring, news and more, visit PGA.com.

The South Sevier Rams won the school’s first boys golf state title on Wednesday Oct. 9, posting a decisive 27-stroke victory at Cedar Ridge Golf Course.

The Rams were led by senior Gunner Sorensen, who followed up his even-par 72 on Day 1 with an 81 on Wednesday to finish at 153, tying him with Parowan junior Tyler Massey for the tournament’s best individual score. Sorensen and Massey then played a sudden-victory playoff on hole No. 9, with Sorensen making par both times to win the tiebreaker.

As a team, South Sevier finished with 638 strokes, while runner-up Beaver was 27 strokes back at 665. Parowan placed third, while last year’s champion Rowland Hall took fourth.

Notably, at last year’s state tournament, the Rams shot 10 strokes better (628) but finished in a tie for third place.

“It’s the same boys we had last year. I didn’t have any seniors (graduate in 2023),” South Sevier head coach Trampas Williams said afterward. “These guys played last year, got third place, and they were just hungry to win it. They’ve been working hard since May to be here.”

Led by Sorensen’s stellar 72 on Day 1 South Sevier built a sizable 24-stroke lead during Tuesday’s opening round and were never seriously threatened on Day 2.

“Gunner was just solid,” Williams said. “He’s been knocking shots close all day and just been playing great golf. His even par yesterday was amazing. And then to stick with it and stay right there today. He was mentally strong.”

Rounding out the Rams’ top four scorers were Sorensen’s fellow seniors Keegan Johnson (79-81-160), Kyson Brown (79-85-164) and Jamen Memmott (84-83-167).

“They’ve worked hard all year long,” WIlliams said. “This has been their dream. They worked hard and they earned it.”

The tournament attracted 18 2A schools from around the state, although only 11 teams made the cut after the first day.

2A Boys Golf State Championship Leaderboard:

2A Boys Golf State Championship recap written by Desert News/Jeff Richards. Photography provided by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.