Playing as the Utah State Amateur’s reigning champion two years ago, Simon Kwon made a late run at Riverside Country Club in search of another prestigious title, before falling just short.
He’s leading the Larry H. Miller Utah Open after Friday’s opening round, while competing this time as a State Am runner-up.
The BYU senior from Skyline High School played Riverside just the way elite golfers think they should. He went 5 under par on the four par-5s holes, with an eagle on No. 7 propelling him to an 8-under 64.
In all, Kwon posted eight birdies and two bogeys to go with that eagle. He took a one-stroke lead over two players whose biggest golf achievements came a dozen years ago, when Zach Johnson won the Utah Open and Cole Ogden took the State Amateur title.
Ogden produced the day’s most spectacular scorecard, with two eagles highlighting a back-nine 29.
Next at 66 are University of Utah golfer Brandon Robison, former Utah Valley University star Brady McKinlay and BYU freshman Kihei Akina.
The group at 67 includes Riverside teaching pro Matt Baird and 2022 winner Blake Tomlinson. Defending champion Derek Fribbs of Colorado shot a 68.
The 54-hole tournament will conclude Sunday, 50 years to the day since Mike Brannan’s Utah Open victory at Riverside as a BYU golfer. That was in an era when the tournament rotated annually; this is the club’s 12th consecutive year as host.
Entering his second year as an active player for the Cougars after transferring from the University of California and redshirting in 2023-24, Kwon is accustomed to battling at Riverside to make BYU’s tournament lineup. “Qualifying, there’s a lot of pressure, so it’s good that we have a lot of pressure rounds out here,” he said.
Kwon missed only one green in regulation Friday, due to an errant drive. Nearing the end of what he labeled an “up-and-down” summer of golf, he said, “I just kind of wanted to come in with a different mentality, and just be super present.”
That means not getting ahead of myself as he went deep under par. He acknowledged some trouble maintaining that mind-set after getting to 9 under after the eagle on his 16th hole of the day. That resulted in his second bogey, but he parred the tough par-3 No. 9 to finish.
In 2023, Kwon bogeyed the last two holes of the final round, ending up two shots out of the playoff that was won by PGA Tour veteran Zac Blair.
Johnson and Ogden played in the afternoon, when conditions typically are tougher. Johnson, 42, is the PGA Head Professional at Davis Park Golf Course. His 2013 victory came at the end of the Utah Open’s seven-year run at Oakridge Country Club (where Ogden’s brother, Clay, earned two wins).
Johnson, one of the Utah Section PGA’s top players, never really has contended in the Utah Open’s Riverside era, although a final-round 66 last August gave him a tie for 14th place. He made eight birdies and one bogey Friday.
Ogden plays limited tournament golf, but has a knack for showing up at the State Amateur and the Utah Open and performing well. Last year, a closing 65 gave him a tie for seventh place among amateurs.
He was even par through 10 holes Friday, then made two eagles (on the par-5 Nos. 13 and 15) and three birdies, including one on the par-4 No. 18.
Akina’s 66 stemmed mainly from five birdies on the last six holes of the back nine (his first nine). After carding two bogeys on his second nine, he eagled No. 7. Akina missed the cut to match play in this week’s U.S. Amateur in San Francisco. State Am champion Bowen Mauss, who made match play, posted a 69 at Riverside, as did State Am semifinalist David Liechty, who won a first-round match at The Olympic Club.
Robison, who was last year’s low amateur in Provo with a closing 64, eagled the par-5 Nos. 5 and 13. McKinlay, a Canadian who won four straight tournaments as a UVU senior in 2022-23, is now a pro. He played bogey-free golf Friday with six birdies.
Click here for the Larry H. Miller Utah Open leaderboard heading into Saturday’s second round.
Opening round recap story written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.