Joining this episode of the Colorado Section’s Elevation Podcast are two of the PGA’s best, the current Vice President of the PGA of America, Don Rea, and the Director of the Mountain and Midwest Regions, Keith Soriano. Don and Keith share their insight on the value of PGA Membership and how PGA Professionals can define themselves as MVPs in the golf industry. To learn more, please enjoy this episode of the Elevation Podcast.
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If not for the conditioning expertise of Mel Duke, Toana Vista Golf Course probably never would have become the home of the Utah Senior Open.
Without accepting the challenge of growing grass on Wendover’s salty soil, Duke may not have received the recognition he deserved among golf course superintendents.
The convergence gave Duke a career capstone, making him the honoree of the 2023 Mel Duke Utah Senior Open.
This tournament is the perfect setting to celebrate his life’s work, topped by Toana Vista. “The transformation of that course is just astonishing to me,” said Scott Brandt, a PGA Professional who worked with him at Willow Creek Country Club.
Duke retired in February after 16-plus years at Toana Vista, a tenure highlighted by his work with two major annual events: the Utah Senior Open and the Utah Section PGA Championship. Including his stint at Willow Creek, there’s nothing he enjoyed more than preparing a golf course for professional and elite amateur players. He played well enough to know what golfers were looking for, and did his best to deliver it.
If not for the physical wear and tear of the superintendent’s job description, Duke likely would have kept going beyond age 77. “If I could have done it forever, I would have,” he said, “because I love it so much.”
There’s a lot of ground to cover in his 55-year career in turfgrass, so let’s travel quickly up and down I-15 and then west on I-80. We’ll start in Provo, where Duke was a three-sport athlete at B.Y. High.
Then St. George, where he played baseball for Dixie Junior College, met his wife, Janet, and took a job under Gene Schneiter, helping build Bloomington Country Club and St. George Golf Club. Other highlights include:
Riverdale, working for Gene’s brother, Ernie Schneiter Jr.
West Bountiful, where he functioned as both a golf pro and superintendent.
Layton, where he helped Valley View receive two Top 75 Public Course awards from Golf Digest.
Sandy, where Willow Creek hosted some remarkable visitors when the Utah Open was a premier mini-tour event.
Syracuse, where he built Glen Eagle, a satisfying experience that made him seek just one more challenge.
That explains the I-80 trek. About halfway to Wendover, he confessed to Janet that the trip was for a job interview, not merely a diversion. Reid Goodliffe, then Toana Vista’s Head Professional, couldn’t believe it when he saw Duke’s application for the superintendent’s opening. All these years later, Goodliffe describes Duke’s work in Wendover as “heroic.”
Goodliffe marveled, “He drives around, and the grass is just standing at attention.”
A lot of effort, of course, accompanied the seemingly magic touch that’s being further rewarded during the Mel Duke Utah Senior Open.
The Mel Duke Utah Senior Open will be contested July 26-27 at Toana Vista GC in West Wendover, NV. A dinner will be held in Mel’s honor following the opening round. Click here to watch the honoree video.
Story by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photos by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.
With birdies on the final two holes of the scheduled 18-hole championship match, Mountain View Golf Course PGA Professional Mark Owen defeated Bloomington Country Club’s PGA Director of Golf Scott Brandt to claim the Utah PGA Senior Match Play Championship at Willow Creek Country Club, July 20.
The Senior Match Play Championship launches what promises to be a busy summer for the Utah PGA championship season and is the precursor to the Mel Duke Utah Senior Open July 26-27 at Toana Vista Golf Course.
Owen and Brandt reached the championship match defeating Southern Utah County Professionals Tracy Zobell (Gladstan GC) and Ryan Rhees (The Oaks GC) in semifinal matches earlier Thursday morning. Owen defeated Zobell 3 & 2 and Brandt got by Rhees in 19 holes at Willow Creek.
Owen and Brandt, both former Match Play champions, played what Owen called a “steady match” which is really how Owen prefers to play when going head to head in match play.
“Stroke play is a little bit harder for me because most of the time I don’t go really low with my scores. But when it is match play, par is a good score against an opponent. You know you can par somebody to death and if you make a few birdies, that goes a long way with making 16 or 15 pars,” explained Owen.
That strategy played well for Owen in the championship match as Brandt held a 1up lead heading into the par 5 17th.
Going for the green in two, Owen’s second shot ran through the right side bunker that faces the green and settled in the grass on the downslope of the backside of the bunker.
Brandt went the traditional route and laid up his second shot in order to hit a wedge into the green. Unfortunately his third shot was “two yards too far” and bounced into the rough behind the green.
“I thought it was really good,” Brandt said. “If it lands about two yards shorter it’s going to go right back to the hole.”
Both players hit remarkable chip shots onto the green but Owen made his birdie putt to win the hole and tie the match heading to the 18th hole.
With another birdie at the last, Owen claimed the Senior Match Play champion’s title for 2023.
“Scott Brandt is amazing. He’s so good and just a grinder,” said Owen. “Tracy (Zobell) and I were talking about that this morning. You never can count on him doing anything really crazy stupid. He’s a pretty solid player and he’s won many events like this. He’s a past champion of this tournament. You always have to pay attention (when) playing him.”
Owen said, “I’ve always loved playing this course. This course looks well to my eye, it has a lot of different shots. You hit a lot of different iron shots, a lot of different wedge shots, and there’s some risk-rewards.”
“This was really fun,” Brandt said. “It’s what makes this job worth having to be honest with you. Just to be able to compete with these guys and have fun doing it. The day-to-day stuff gets a little monotonous. When you break away for a day or two and compete with these guys that’s what makes it worth having.”
The 2023 Utah PGA Senior Match Play Championship began in May with 32 players at Stonebridge Golf Course for two rounds before moving on to Bountiful Ridge for the Quarterfinals June 27th. Click here to see the complete Senior Match Play Championship bracket.
Story and photos by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.
PGA Regional Director Keith Soriano announced today that Sirene Blair-Wheeler has been selected as the new Recruiting & Member Engagement Specialist for the M&M Region and larger Member and Section Operations Team.
Sirene comes to us as a Level 2 Associate from the Utah Section, where she was most recently an Assistant Professional at Glenmoor Golf Club, where she was intimately involved in all facets of the operation, including one of the most impactful PGA Junior League programs in the nation.
Sirene is a 4-time 5A Utah State High School Champion and 6-time Utah Junior Golf Association Player of the Year. Her Junior career made her a highly recruited player, providing her with first-hand experience in the recruiting life cycle and what it takes to walk individuals through career and life-altering decisions.
Sirene was successfully recruited by San Diego State University, where she was a 4-year letter winner and an All-Conference selection before graduating with honors. She followed her amateur career with eight professional victories, including the Northwestern Women’s Open and multiple victories on the Cactus Tour, where she was the 2018 Money List leader.
“Needless to say, she’s a factor on and off the golf course,” Soriano said. “And she’s already spoken for when it comes to any future partner events at team meetings – I need all the help I can get. Welcome to the team, Sirene!”
The Utah PGA Junior series hosted the Utah Country Rumble Junior Major on July 17-18 with the first round of play taking place at Timpanogos Golf Club and The Oaks at Spanish Fork hosting the second round completing the 36-hole tournament. Participants competed for a qualifying spot into the end of season Major Championship taking place at Hobble Creek this July which can be clinched with a top 3 finish in any age division alongside a qualifying spot into the Notah Begay III Regional which is awarded to the top 5 in all age divisions.
Lance Loughton posted the lowest score of the tournament en route to his first Major win of the season. Loughton’s rounds compiled 13 birdies with only two bogies to finish at the top of the Boys 15-16 division at 11-under-par 133 (65-68). Runner up Ian Miyasaki, fourth place finisher, Ryker Lind, and fifth place finisher Ben Clayson also clinched a qualifying spot into the end of season Major Championship due to others qualifying in previous events.
Boys 17-18 division winner Cooper Nelson claimed his second Major win of the year carding a 136 (69-67), 8-under-par performance. Runner-up Luke Gardner finished 2-under-par who tied with Jarren Phillips earned qualification into the end of season Major, along with Christian Bates, Stockton Penman, and Johnny Rasmussen who all tied for fifth ending at even par.
Josh Neff finished atop of the Boys 13-14 division posting a 2-over-par tournament followed by runner up Jack Nelson who went 5-over-par, and Dade Westfall who tied with Gordon Gatrell rounded out the podium both finishing 8-over-par. Gatrell previously claimed a qualifying spot into the end of season Major but Neff, Nelson, and Westfall all punched their tickets this week.
On the girls’ side, Ali Mulhall was the only player to shoot under-par finishing at 3-under to claim back-to-back-to-back Major wins. Fourth place finisher Sydney Richards and fifth place finisher Katelin Bingham claimed their tickets to the end of year tournament.
Susan Tiffner, Campbell Kato, and Abbee Albrect of the Girls 15-16 division also claimed their qualifying spot. Natalie McLane came out on top of the division shooting an 8-over-par 153 (78-75) over the two days.
There were no new qualifiers in the Girls 13-14 division. Molli Mulhall earned her fourth Major title of the year carding a 155 (10-over-par). Tazlyn Wagner and Mikaila Lieu earned podium honors as well.
For a full leaderboard and qualifiers list visit here.
For tournament photos visit here.
Story by Utah PGA Junior Series intern Josh Green. Photos by Utah PGA Junior Series interns and Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.
Southern Utah University and Director of Athletics Doug Knuth are proud to announce the distinguished individuals and teams comprising the esteemed Hall of Fame Class of 2023. This year’s class includes outstanding athletes, a revered coach, and an exceptional team whose remarkable contributions have left an indelible mark on Thunderbird athletics.
“We are thrilled to welcome the exceptional individuals and teams comprising the 2023 Hall of Fame Class. Their remarkable achievements and unwavering commitment to excellence have left a permanent mark on our athletic program. The legacy they have built will continue to inspire and motivate our current and future Thunderbirds. We are proud to honor their outstanding contributions and celebrate their well-deserved induction into the Hall of Fame. Congratulations to each member of the class on this tremendous accomplishment!”
The 2023 Hall of Fame Class features a stellar lineup of accomplished individuals, including Utah PGA Professional John Evans, and teams who have exemplified excellence, dedication, and T-Bird spirit throughout their tenure at Southern Utah University.
John Evans, a renowned coach in the SUU men’s golf program since 1970, played an instrumental role in shaping the team’s success and guiding its transition to Division I status. Evans’s passion and commitment have left an indelible impact on the golf program, and his dedication to excellence has inspired generations of athletes.
In 2021 the university announced the creation of the John L. Evans Golf Center, a 5,000 square foot facility built on the west side of the Cedar Ridge Golf Course driving range. The facility will serve has the golf home for both the men’s and women’s golf teams.
Evans coached the Thunderbirds for nine seasons, coached at Cedar High School for 10 seasons, and was the Director of Golf at Cedar Ridge Golf Course for 30 years.
Southern Utah University is immensely proud to honor these exceptional individuals and teams whose contributions have shaped the legacy of our athletic program. The 2023 Hall of Fame Class embodies the spirit of excellence, sportsmanship, and dedication that defines the Thunderbird community.
The honorees will be celebrated during the September 30th Hall of Fame Game, when the Thunderbird football team takes on Central Arkansas at Eccles Coliseum. Click here to see the 2023 Hall of Fame Class.
Written by Regan Hunsaker, Southern Utah University Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information. Photos by Fairways Media and SUU.
The Utah PGA Juniors Series Salt Lake City Major took place on July 10-11 at Bonneville Golf Course, the fourth Junior Major of the year. Participants competed for a qualifying spot into the season-ending Major Championship taking place at Hobble Creek in July which can be clinched with a top 3 finish in all age divisions and a qualifying spot for the Notah Begay III Regional which is awarded to the top 5 in all age divisions.
Ali Mulhall claimed her second straight major win with a 5-under-par 141 (74-68). “It feels good,” said Mulhall “My ball striking was good the last two days, and I was able to make some putts, it was fun.” Madalyn Hadley earned runner up honors shooting 14-over-par while Ellie Olsen and Lily Shin joined the podium tied for third at 17-over-par.
After 36 holes Lance Smith and Edyn Tueller found themselves tied atop of the Boys 17-18 leaderboard at 1-under-par. After a one hole playoff Smith bested Tueller with his birdie on No.1, earning his first major win of the season. “To finish on a birdie felt good. The round was a grind all the way through,” said Smith “The win feels good.”
Adley Nelson earned herself a one stroke win in the Girls 15-16 division over runner-up Whitni Johnson as she shot 15-over-par throughout the major. “I didn’t play great today but I pushed through and didn’t give up,” Nelson stated. “It was cool to win for the first time this year.” Kaylee Westfall joined Nelson and Johnson on the podium finishing at 22-over-par.
Boys 15-16 division champion JJ Tomsick expressed his excitement to compete in the end of season tournament after his one stroke win. “It’s exciting,” said Tomsick. “I’m glad to be playing at Hobble Creek at the end of the year,” he added. Tomsick finished the tournament at 5-under-par. Sean Lampropoulos earned runner-up honors shooting 4-under-par, while Lance Loughton rounded out the podium at 3-under-par.
Molli Mulhall earned her third major win of the year in the Girls 13-14 after shooting a 155 (77-78) 9-over-par. Hazel Peters followed closely behind finishing her tournament at 10-over-par. Mikaila Lieu earned third place medalist honors finishing at 22-over-par.
Boys 13-14 division winner Connor Bringhurst finished with a tournament best 7-under-par 137 thanks to a first round that highlighted 8 birdies. Corver Barnes and Autsin Bybee both earned runner-up honors trying for second at 9-over-par.
The 36-hole leaderboard and list of qualifiers for all age divisions are available here.
The Utah PGA’s next Junior major takes place on July 17-18 at Timpanogos Golf Course and The Oaks at Spanish Fork in the Utah County Ruble PGA Junior Major.
Salt Lake City Major feature written by Josh Green. Photos by Utah Section PGA Junior Series interns. Tournament photos are available here.
The first round on the road to Augusta is complete after the Utah PGA Junior Series’ final Drive, Chip & Putt Local Qualifier of the year concluded July 7th at Eagle Mountain Golf Course.
Drive, Chip & Putt provides junior golfers as young as seven-years old to as old as 15 the opportunity to compete at a high level emphasizing on the three main parts of golf. The competition is composed of three drives, three chips, and three putts, scores are based on the distance of drives as well as each ball’s proximity to the pin in the chipping and putting categories.
Thanks to a well rounded performance Huttson Hadley led all participants scoring 171, despite not leading any individual category in the Boys 14-15 age division. Mack Herzog’s 168 and Linus Einum’s 155 point performances earned each a qualifying spot into the Sub-Regional Qualifier this August.
Sophie De Mond of the Girls 14-15 age division led the division’s chipping and putting category en route to leading all girls in scoring with 122 points. Tazlyn Wagner and Chloe Suazo claimed the last two qualifying spots in the division thanks to a 112 point performance from Wagner and 107 point performance from Suazo.
Boys 12-13 division winner Luke Manning scored 152 with Blake Fowers earning runner up with 128 points and Jace Benson rounding out the podium at 124 points. Saylor Wagner led the Girls 12-13 division with 109 points followed by Marissa Johnson who scored 77 and Ella Larson placed third with 72 points, all three will be moving onto the Sub-Regional Qualifier.
Logan Wilde, Ben Rowser, and Carter Macy all qualified out of the Boys 10-11 division while Graham Benson, Malcolm Hart, and Backham Andrus clinched the final boys qualifying spots from the Boys 7-9 division.
The final six qualifying spots from the girls were clinched by Maddie Larsen, Gwyneth Woodlief, and Abbie Rhodes from the Girls 10-11 division alongside Belle Gilfillan, Lyla Ewing, and Treyva Woodlief from the Girls 7-9 division.
A full leaderboard and qualifiers list is available here.
Friday’s qualifiers will compete against the Canyon Hills, Rose Park, and Mountain View qualifiers at Glenmoor Golf Club on August 25 in the Sub-Regional Qualifier with hopes of moving onto the Regional Qualifier held at Chambers Bay in September.
Written by Utah PGA Junior Series intern Josh Green. Photos by Utah PGA Junior Series interns.
The Utah PGA Junior series hosted their third Junior Major of the year on July 5-6 with the Valley View Davis Major taking place at Valley View Golf Course for the first 18-hole round and Davis Park Golf Course hosting the second 18-hole round completing the 36-hole tournament. Participants competed for a qualifying spot into the end of season Major Championship taking place at Hobble Creek July 31st which can be clinched with a top 3 finish in any age division alongside a qualifying spot into the Notah Begay III Regional which is awarded to the top 5 in all age divisions.
Ali Mulhall of the Girls 16-17 division grabbed a large 18-hole lead thanks to a bogey free 64 at Valley View Golf course. Mulhall protected her lead with a 1-under-par second day finishing the tournament at 9-under-par 134 earning her spot into the Major Championship and Notah Begay III Regional. Ellie Olsen’s 7-over-par 150 and Ashley Lam’s 12-over-par 155 rounded out the podium and Major Championship qualification spots. With two remaining qualification spots into the Notah Begay III Regional Sydney Richards and Lily Shin finished T-4 at 16-over-par to take the final two spots for the division.
Boys 15-16 division winner Jackson Shelley fired the second 8-under-par round of the tournament on day two en route to a 9-under-par 134 performance clinching the division title. Brock Porter and Lance Loughton both finished the tournament at 4-under-par 139 to round out the three qualifying spots into the end of season Major. In a tight race for the two remaining qualifying spots into the Notah Begay III Regional Carter Papke and JJ Tomsick both claimed their spots finishing one stroke under par, tying for fourth.
Braylon Bingham finished atop of the Boys 17-18 division at 5-under-par courtesy of a 3-under-par second day earning a one stroke victory over runner-up Coltin Powell. Jarren Phillips and Tytan Birchell both earned podium honors finishing tied for third at 2-under-par earning entry into the end of season Major. Cooper Nelson and Will Blanchard each grabbed a Notah Begay III Regional qualification spot tying for fifth at 1-under-par.
Boys 13-14 champion Jace Benson carded the only under-par performance in the division at 3-under-par thanks to a 3-under-par second round highlighted by seven birdies. Corver Barnes and Samuel Layne earned top 3 honors after Barnes carded a 150, 7-over-par, and Layne shot 152, 9-over-par. Austin Bybee and Westin Rich also earned entry into the Regional tournament.
Alyssa Meadows and Molli Mulhall both claimed division titles in their respective divisions. Meadows carded a 157 in the Girls 15-16 division win, meanwhile Mulhall carded a 148 capturing the Girls 13-14 division. Adley Nelson and Whitni Johnson earned medals in the Girls 15-16 division. Tazlyn Wagner and Mikaila Lieu earned medals in the Girls 13-14 division.
Valley View Davis Major photos are available here.
A full leaderboard and more information is available at utahpga.com
Written by Utah PGA Junior Series intern, Josh Green. Photos by Utah PGA Junior Series interns and Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.
The Utah Section PGA Four-Ball Championship concluded June 29th at Jeremy Ranch Golf & Country Club. This year marked the first time the Four-Ball bracket expanded to include more than 32 teams. With a record-breaking participation of 46 teams, Ryan Rhees (The Oaks GC) and Tracy Zobell (Gladstan GC) emerged as the champions!
The event commenced on April 24th at Thanksgiving Point Golf Club with a seeding round combined with the Spring Pro-Pro, followed by the first two rounds the next day. The weather proved challenging for all players with strong winds and cold conditions. Rounds 3 and 4 were played at Valley View GC on the last day of May, setting up the semi-finals between Joe and Bruce Summerhays versus Ryan Rhees/Tracy Zobell, and Thomas Cook/Tristan Hartfiel versus Clark Garso/Paul Phillips. Joe Summerhays was absent as he had qualified for the U.S. Senior Open and teed off in Wisconsin at 12:40 for the opening round.
Despite Bruce’s best efforts without his partner, his 4-under through 14 holes fell short as Rhees/Zobell won 5 & 4. and secured their spot in the championship match. Clark Garso and Paul Phillips lost to Thomas Cook and Tristan Hartfiel on the 17th hole, 2 & 1. Phillips commented on their close match, stating, “We didn’t lose, rather we got beat,” acknowledging the excellent play by Cook and Hartfiel.
The championship match between Rhees/Zobell and Cook/Hartfiel was a thrilling encounter with a total of 15 birdies from both teams, 10 of which were made just to tie the hole.
Cook and Hartfiel took an early lead with a birdie on the first hole, maintaining a one-hole advantage for the next five holes, matching three more birdies and two pars by Zobell and Rhees. Zobell/Rhees managed to level the match with a birdie on the 7th hole, and then took a one-hole lead with another birdie on the par 3, 11th hole. However, their lead was short-lived as Hartfiel stuffed his approach shot on the 12th hole which resulted in a tap-in birdie, once again tying the match.
The match remained tied with more birdies and pars until the 16th hole, where Zobell lipped in a birdie putt while Hartfiel and Cook lipped out their birdie chances. Zobell/Rhees entered the 17th hole with a one-hole lead, with only two holes left to play. The 17th hole, playing downhill and downwind, saw Rhees as the only player to find the green with his tee shot. After valiant efforts from Cook and Hartfiel to save par, the hole concluded with Hartfiel’s ball skimming the edge of the hole and stopping just outside.
Congratulations to this year’s champions, Ryan Rhees and Tracy Zobell!
We extend our gratitude to all the participants and our host courses, Thanksgiving Point, Valley View, and Jeremy Ranch. You can find the full Four-Ball Championship bracket by clicking here.