Author: By V. Scott Whittaker
Utah Section PGA Professional Dustin Volk capped an unbelievably exciting golf season by winning his second Utah Section PGA Championship today at Toana Vista Golf Club. Volk posted twin 67’s for a two day total of 134 (-10) and a two stroke victory over Zach Johnson and Tele Wightman who both posted scores of 136 (-8). This was Volks’ second Utah Section Championship win, having won in 2011, but it was only part of an amazing golf season for the Valley View GC Head PGA Professional.
Seven Utah Section Professionals qualified to move on to the 2015 PGA Professional National Championship through this event. Zach Johnson (136), Davis Park GC; Tele Wightman (136), The Ranches Club; Tommy Sharp (137), The Golf Lab; and both Chris Moody (138) and Matt Baird (138) from Riverside CC will join Volk and Steve Schneiter at the 2015 PGA PNC Championship next year. Steve Schneiter (139) was exempted into the PGA PNC based on his two time Champion status for the National PNC.
Volk’s “top 25 exemption status” for the 2015 PNC was part of his amazing golf journey of this season. Having qualified for the 2014 PNC event both Volk and Schnieter were able to parley their top 25 finishes into exemptions for this year’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. Volk noted that “playing in the PGA Championship against the world’s greatest golf field is an amazing opportunity for a young guy from Layton, Utah”. Local golfers and golf professionals are hoping that all seven of the 2015 PNC Qualifiers from Utah are able to play their way into the 2015 PGA Championship!
As the traditional Utah Section PGA Championship and PNC venue, Toana Vista GC in West Wendover, Nevada again proved itself a s a worthy test for Utah Section Professionals. Almost perfect weather and course conditions made the Toana Vista layout seem almost benign compared to some of the previous bad weather years. Yet, the fast greens and exacting hole locations offered plenty of challenge to this Championship’s largest field ever. Host golf professional Mike Propp and course superintendent Mel Duke enjoy challenging Utah’s PGA Golf professionals to play their best golf while joining the Wendover Hotels in making “Utah Section PGA Championship week” a memorable experience.
To view the 2014 Utah Section PGA Championship; Senior Championship; and Super-Senior Championship Results – click here