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.