In a testament to the growing strength of women’s golf in the Utah PGA, this year’s Women’s Match Play Championship, held Oct. 22-23, saw a record number of competitors—a clear sign of the progress and passion among the Utah PGA’s women PGA Professionals and Apprentices. And once again, Haley Sturgeon solidified her place at the top, as she and perennial contender Sue Nyhus advanced to the final match at Alpine Country Club after two beautiful fall days of golf.
The championship match pitted two of the Section’s most seasoned competitors against each other. For the third consecutive year—and the fourth time in the past six—Sturgeon walked away with the title, defeating Nyhus 3 & 1. Nyhus, the 2021 champion, put up a strong fight, but Sturgeon’s consistent par-producing game proved too much.
In the morning’s semifinal matches, Sturgeon defeated Kali Quick 5 & 4, while Nyhus, showing her tenacity yet again, battled Ana Ross to a 19-hole victory. To reach the quarterfinal matches Ana Ross defeated Dehlin-Hirsch 3 & 1, Quick defeated Emily Jones 3 & 2 and Nyhus beat Jasmine Candland 5 & 4. Click here for complete bracket scoring.
Despite Sturgeon’s considerable advantage off the tee, Nyhus refused to go quietly. Twice during the match, Nyhus rallied to extend play, even when trailing by three holes going into the par-3 16th. But Sturgeon sealed her victory on the par-5 17th with a birdie.
Nyhus faced an additional challenge when her 8-iron broke mid-practice swing on the 9th hole. The clubhead detached, leading to a break in concentration and a bogey, putting her two down at the turn. Reflecting on the incident, Nyhus said, “My 8-iron is one of my most common clubs. I had just hit it on the par-3 7th, and it felt a little funny, but I didn’t think much of it. But when I went to take a practice swing on No. 9, the head twisted and came off. It definitely distracted me.”
Sturgeon praised her opponent, acknowledging Nyhus’ competitive fire: “Sue is such a tough competitor. You always expect her to make every putt or chip in. My goal all day was to stay in the moment, stay focused, and not let her sneak past me.”
As the defending champion, Sturgeon entered the tournament as the top seed, bypassing the opening nine-hole seeding round, which was won by Carly Dehlin-Hirsch. In the Round of 8, Sturgeon dispatched Maegen Nitta 6 & 4, a newcomer to the Section. “She was so sweet,” Sturgeon said. “On the first tee, she told me, ‘I was excited to meet you but sad I had to play you.’ It’s great to see new faces joining our events.”
Sturgeon expressed excitement about the growing field. “We had the biggest field ever for this event, and it’s just fun to watch it grow. I hope we don’t scare these new girls off—I want to see them coming back!”
Nyhus, ever gracious, heaped praise on Sturgeon. “I’m not sure people in Utah realize just how good Haley is. She’s LPGA Tour quality. I’ve seen it firsthand. I recruited her to play for me, and I know she has the game to compete at the highest level. It’s about timing and opportunity, but she’s got the talent.”
As winter approaches, Sturgeon has her sights set on a busy competitive schedule, including the Southern Utah Open, the Pro-Assistant Championship, and early next year’s Winter Classic. She’s also preparing for USGA national open qualifiers next spring.
In the consolation bracket, Cassie Campos and Shelby Jennings provided some final-day drama. Campos sank a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to tie the match. The players elected to end the match in a tie due to Alpine’s packed tee sheet. Campos defeated Annie Fisher while Jennings got by Aspyn Moosman to get into the consolation final.
Utah PGA Women’s Match Play feature and photography provided by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson & Garrit Johnson.