Utah’s PGA Jr. League All-Stars delivered another big splash on two levels in 2024.
Having coached a team with some of the same players to a national championship in a younger age group three years ago, Thanksgiving Point’s Tele Wightman sensed another title was coming in the 17u finals in November at Twin Warriors GC in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.
But then No. 1 seed New York pulled away to a 5.5-3.5 victory. “We played really great in the finals and there were times when I thought we had it won,” Wightman said. “We played great but they were just a little bit better.”
Team members included Blake Brown, Ryder Huish, Jace Benson, Mack Herzog, D’Adiddas Notoa and Jordan Ofahengaue. Utah, the No. 2 seed, defeated Virginia 6.5-2.5 in the semifinals.
In the Regional event at Prineville, Oregon, Thanksgiving Point’s No. 1 17u team had beaten the in-state opponent Glenmoor Goats in the semifinals and then topped Meadow Springs CC of Washington.
Thanksgiving Point’s 13u team finished third in its National Championship, staged in October at PGA Frisco’s Fields Ranch West in Texas. Drew Wilson and Emery Johnson each made a hole-in-one as Utah earned the No. 2 seed before losing 6-5.-5.5 to Florida in the semifinals. Utah then topped Virginia 8.5-3.5 for third place.
Other team members included Jraice Finau, Cove Cummings, Luke Manning, Nicklaus Miller, Logan Wilde and Crue Harward. PGA Tour player Tony Finau assisted Wightman.
Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe.