Monthly Archives: December 2024

As a golfer, Chris Moody had already accumulated a bunch of trophies and titles in the Utah Section PGA. His latest award hit differently. 

That’s because he earned this one without holding a club in his hands, or having a scorecard to provide a grade of his performance. The Section’s Professional of the Year Award is proof of his steady, day-after-day impact. So is the response he’s received from some Section members whom Moody barely knows, people he never imagined he was influencing or impressing during his two decades on the Riverside Country Club staff, including the last five years as Head Professional. 

Moody is a five-time Player of the Year in the Section. He was named the Assistant Professional of the Year in 2014 and was the Merchandiser of the Year (Private) in 2023.

The Professional of the Year award came just as Moody was turning 50, a natural opportunity to reflect on a life that he has mostly spent at Riverside, where his father, the late Robert Moody, was a longtime member and a club president. As with a lot of success stories, this one comes with a twist. 

Moody figured he was done with golf after chasing a playing career following his graduation from Utah State. He was working for AT&T, pitching long-distance phone plans (yes, those used to be a thing) to businesses and homeowners, when PGA Professional Robert McArthur called him “out of the blue” and asked if Moody would join him in the Riverside golf shop. “The phone call came right at the right time,” Moody said.

Moody describes McArthur as “my beacon,” in multiple ways. Connecting the dots in the Section’s award history creates an unmistakable thread. Eight members have been named both the Assistant Professional and Professional of the Year. Three worked for McArthur in Provo, in succession: Craig Norman, Kent McComb and Moody. 

McArthur “kind of sucked me back into the golf business,” Moody said. “He’s always been kind of a father figure to me. … He’s so personable, so good with people; he makes you feel important.”

In turn, Moody has become influential to others, beyond Riverside’s membership. Pro-am guests in the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open have appreciated his welcome for the past 11 years. Former assistant Travis Byron recently became Alpine Country Club’s Head Professional. Three other assistants are working toward PGA membership. 

McArthur was named the Section’s Professional of the Year in 1989 and, among other honors, received the PGA Professional Development Award in 2014 and the Doug Vilven Distinguished Service Award in 2020. That’s a lot for Moody to live up to, and his peers say he’s succeeding. 

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography by Fairways Media.

With her poise and personality, onetime pageant contestant Nyomy Obcemea considered pursuing a career in modeling. In the golf business, she’s already a role model. 

The former Weber State golfer is the first female winner of the Utah Section PGA’s Assistant Professional of the Year award, a remarkable honor for a woman who “never, ever thought I was going to be working in the industry,” she said.

The award “really does warm my heart,” Obcemea said. “I’m just beyond words, honestly.”

And with that, she begins to tell a great story of how she joined the Ogden Golf & Country Club staff after working in marketing for a couple of post-college years. Encouraged by John Chevalier, a marketing client and former OG&CC board member, she somewhat half-heartedly went through an interview with PGA Professionals Craig Sarlo and Bob Wallis in 2016. 

Three months later, she called them back and asked if the position was still open. This time, she made quite an impression in the interview.  Within a few minutes, then-club president Mike Fisher said, “I’ve heard enough.” He told Wallis, “Now I know why you wanted to wait for her.”

Sarlo’s pitch to Obcemea was that someone with her marketing skills and ethnic background with parents from the Philippines would have a lot to offer to a diverse community of golfers. That has proven true, in her eight-plus years on the job. After quickly achieving Class A membership in the PGA, Obcemea went to work in building the club’s junior and women’s programs. 

“She has a wonderful feel for people and for the profession of golf,” Wallis said. “Everyone who knows Nyomy loves Nyomy, … It’s been fun to watch her grow and progress over the years as a professional.”

About 100 juniors now participate in summer lessons and a phase-in opportunity has rejuvenated the ladies’ league. And the rewards have come for Obcemea, whose first student was a 10-year-old boy dealing with bullying. He’s 18 now, and golf may have saved his life. A tattoo on Obcemea’s forearm preserves that experience, referencing a Bible verse about being put in position to do good. 

Having coached the girls golf team at her old school, Northridge High in Layton, Obcemea is launching the program next spring at West Field in Weber County. The team is a diverse group with more “rodeo girls” than longtime golfers, but she likes their potential. The same is true of women’s increasing impact within the Section and in the business overall. Two of her former Northridge players are pursuing careers in golf.

“It gives me a lot of hope,” Obcemea said. “A lot of women in the Section get to trailblaze for the next generation. It’s inspiring, because there’s more ways to get involved in golf than just playing.”

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photo by Fairways Media

Any award that honors a Utah Golf Hall of Fame member is worth winning. Being recognized as a caring person is also a good thing. And considering how the Utah Section PGA’s Jeff Beaudry Golf Ambassador Award has come to signify a lifetime achievement in the profession, it gets even better. 

There’s even another layer to Mike Bicker’s 2024 selection. In two stints with the Section Board of Directors, Bicker was influenced by the likes of Robert McArthur, Ron Branca and Beaudry himself, then the Executive Director. 

Bicker labels them “a whole lot of great people.”

He’s now in the same class, officially. McArthur and Branca also have received the Golf Ambassador Award. 

Named the Section’s Professional of the Year in 2001, Bicker has assembled some outstanding credentials in nearly 40 years as a head pro in Davis County. He spent about three-fourths of that time at Lakeside GC in West Bountiful, arriving just prior to the course’s expansion to 18 holes. He’s just finishing his 10th year at Sun Hills GC in Layton. 

Judging by his Section awards over the years, Bicker has made an impact in youth player development, PGA Professional development and club relations. He has done it in an unassuming, understated way.
“I’ve always been a bit of an introvert,” he said. So imagine him working for five years at Nibley Park GC as an assistant to the gregarious Jeff Waters. Actually, Waters is another influence, having shown him how to work and have a little fun at the same time. 

Bicker at one time was among the Section’s top players. He tied for 12th place in the inaugural Ben Hogan (now Korn Ferry Tour) Utah Classic, won by John Daly. As his career evolved, service to the Section became his professional highlight, including a term as President. 

He’s also proud to have worked with longtime assistants such as Kelly Class and Chris Newson. Each was named the Assistant Professional of the Year during a Lakeside stint. Chris Johnson has become a Bicker protege at Sun Hills. Johnson directs the Kelly Class Foundation, assisting golf pros. 

Bicker provides guidance to Johnson, so his influence in the profession will continue beyond his Sun Hills tenure, whenever that ends.    

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography courtesy of Sun Hills GC.

It would be difficult to imagine anyone becoming so immersed in the Utah golf community as Kareen Larson, in such a short time. 

As the General Manager of TalonsCove Golf Club, Larson is the first female winner in the nearly four-decade history of the Utah Section PGA’s Wesley Ruff Golf Citizen of the Year Award. 

She fits the award’s definition well. It goes to “the person who best promotes the game of golf in Utah by sacrificing their own time and efforts with the goal of growing the game” and salutes “professional service in a style and demeanor that reflects well on the entire Utah golf community by exemplifying the attributes of kindness, courtesy, unselfish service and integrity.”

This honor follows Larson’s 2023 recognition by the UGA Woman Award. So within barely 12 months, she was honored by the Utah Golf Association and the Utah PGA, besides earning Senior Women’s Player of the Year honors in the UGA. 

Whether the criterion is points in the UGA Player Performance Rankings or subjective in other awards, Larson is both thriving and contributing in the golf business lately, after a career in health care. She deservedly received credit for TalonsCove’s hosting of the Women’s State Amateur in July. Just as impressively, if less noticeably, she spent the next week at Soldier Hollow Golf Course, coaching Utah’s girls in the Junior America’s Cup as a member of the Utah Junior Golf Association’s Board of Trustees. 

Much of Larson’s promotional effort in golf benefits TalonsCove; that’s her job. Yet she clearly is motivated to help beyond Saratoga Springs, in the larger golf community. She’s thankful that course owner Doug Horne gives her that forum. 

“It’s just a passion I have for this wonderful game and the places it’s taken me, and just giving back to the game,” said Larson, a native Canadian who previously was oriented to hockey (her left-handed swing with a short backswing is evidence) and basketball. 

With golf, she hopes to “spark that same interest in somebody and make it meaningful,” she said. 

Larson bonds easily with golfers at all levels. Lila Galea’i, the 2021 Women’s State Amateur champion, has won three Utah Women’s Four-Ball titles with Larson and enjoyed it all. 

“I’ve always noticed the amount of effort she puts into not only her role on the course, but also her role as a friend,” Galea’i said. “For me personally, she’s always made sure I’m taken care of and I know she’s always doing the same for others.”

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography by Fairways Media.

Matt Baird’s home-course performance in the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open is a natural starting point for the summary of how he became the Utah Section PGA’s Player of the Year for the first time. There’s always more to the story, including a stop in Vernal. 

Winning this annual points competition requires both outstanding play and a commitment to playing something close to a full schedule. Baird checked both boxes in 2024, accumulating 6,123.5 points to 6,110.25 for Zach Johnson in a remarkably close race. 

Baird’s 69-68-67 showing in the Utah Open at Riverside Country Club, where he’s the longtime teaching professional, gave him 1,200 points as the Section’s top performer. Having edged Johnson in that event to put himself in Player of the Year position, Baird added the Vernal Open to his schedule in late September and finished third, again placing just ahead of Johnson. 

“It’s cool,” Baird said of the award, having interrupted Casey Fowles’ three-year run. “I’ve always been pretty close. It’s ironic that I win it when I turn 50 (in October). I haven’t made it a priority in my life, but it just helps me look back over the year, and I’m proud.”

Baird gave himself credit for patience during the Utah Open, on a rain-soaked course that played much differently that the usual firm, fast track. And he’s pleased to maintain a high-level game, while spending most of his days attending to the swings of other golfers, from brothers Keanu and Kihei Akina on the elite level to the average Riverside member.            

Now that he’s 50, Baird observed, “As a senior, you’re not trying to prove yourself, just going out and enjoying the game.” 

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.

Haley Sturgeon’s sixth straight Rolex Women’s Player of the Year award in the Utah Section PGA was a story of overcoming new challenges. Competition from a friendly rival who’s in her 60s and the presence of a baby boy were different dynamics for Sturgeon in 2024, while she remained in her usual place in the standings. 

Both in the overall race and in the finals of the Women’s Match Play, Nyhus pressed the 31-year-old Sturgeon. Yet by reaching that stage of the event at Alpine Country Club, Sturgeon had clinched another Women’s Player of the Year award, before taking a 3-and-1 victory. 

Sturgeon posted 800 points to Nyhus’ 650, with wins in the Palisade, Valley View and Davis Park Opens.

Playing well during her pregnancy made the 2023 season memorable; being a mother made her performance this year meaningful in another way. Sturgeon was proud of “overcoming (outside) expectations” of how raising a child might affect her game. 

“I was figuring out how to manage my job (as an assistant pro at The Country Club), being a mom and finding time to practice,” she said. “I am extremely fortunate to have an amazing support system. It allowed me to continue doing what I love and take baby Jack along for the ride.”

Her husband Davis, parents and in-laws all did their parts, while Jack accompanied her during “several rounds of golf, countless practice sessions … and a few golf vacations,” Sturgeon said. 

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.

Senior competition in the Utah Section PGA is going to be phenomenal in the next several years, with a bunch of big-name players turning 50 at almost the same time. The likes of Dustin Volk, Matt Baird, Chris Moody and Todd Tanner will make it difficult for anyone to dominate the class, as Mark Owen did in the previous three years. 

Tanner took his first shot in 2024 and succeeded in a big way. As the winner of the Bob Rudd Utah Senior Open and the Senior Sidebar in the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open, he posted 7,513.5 points to Volk’s 6,655 to earn the Section’s Senior Player of the Year award. 

Now 51, Tanner is “looking forward to many more years, trying for this award,” he said. 

His consistency will make him tough to beat, judging by his scores in the Utah Senior Open (66-67) at Toana Vista GC and the Utah Open (70-70-71) at Riverside CC. Tanner also won the Palisade and Brigham City Opens and tied for first in the Gladstan Open. 

Tanner credits “a great support system” that includes his business partnership with Stacey Jones in operating InMotion Junior Golf and directing the Salt Lake City Local Tour of U.S. Kids. Having qualified for the PGA Professional Championship in Florida in April, he’s happy about the chance to “compete with the young guys,” as he tries to remain at the top of his own age group in Utah. 

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photo Credit: Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.

The Utah Section PGA’s Rolex Assistant Player of the Year award is subject to dynasties. Braydon Swapp’s third consecutive title marks the fifth time that has happened in the past 25 years, following the long reigns of Mark Owen, Chris Moody (twice) and Zach Johnson. 

The others moved on to become head professionals. That might be in Swapp’s future, although for now he’s focused on his continued improvement as a player. 

Swapp’s late-season surge earned him another Assistant Player of the Year award, while appreciating his wife Hannah’s support and the working environment at The Barn Golf Course in Ogden. He finished with 3,396.25 points to 2,941.5 for Thomas Cook, who won the Section’s Assistant Championship and tied for 40th place in the national tournament. 

“The Section has been growing a lot with more assistants joining the program in the three years that I have been part of it,” Swapp said. “The competition has gotten tougher and the fields deeper.”

Swapp’s run included a four-way tie for first place in the Valley View Open with a 68-70 showing, a tie for second among Section members in the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open ( 67-69-70) and a career-best tournament round of 62 to win the Davis Park Open. 

“I had been wanting a win all year, and finally getting it proved my work has paid off,” Swapp said, citing swing changes.  

Swapp was inside the cutline through three rounds of a first-stage qualifying event for the PGA Tour/Korn Ferry Tour. “The last round didn’t go how I wanted,” he said, “but I learned so much being in that position and I know I have the game to compete at the next level.”

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photo Credit: Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.