The Utah Section PGA will be well represented with nine Section members competing in the 2021 PGA Professional Championship on April 25-28 in Port St. Lucie, Florida at PGA Golf Club.
After a year off from the annual PGA Professional Championship, PGA Professionals around the country will once again have the chance to compete on a national stage and a shot to qualify for the PGA Championship, which will be played at Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course May 20-23.
Among the qualified Section pros competing in Florida is 2020 Utah PGA Omega Player of the Year Joe Summerhays.
“My game is in good shape,” said Summerhays. “There are several things I like about the PPC. Usually the courses are fun to play and the overall feel of the event. It feels like a big event.”
The top 20 finishers will move on to Kiawah to play in the PGA Championship with the best golfers in the world.
Each round of the 53rd PGA Professional Championship will be broadcasted on the Golf Channel.
Best of luck to:
Matt Baird Jeff Brehaut Craig Hocknull Zach Johnson Chris Moody Aaron Purviance Steve Schneiter Pete Stone Bruce Summerhays Joe Summerhays
When she joined the BYU women’s golf program as a non-scholarship player from North Carolina, Kendra Dalton (cover photo) was not a likely LPGA Tour prospect.
Here she is, though, closer to reaching that level than any former Cougar since Carrie Summerhays Roberts, now BYU’s coach, who qualified for the LPGA Tour nearly 20 years ago. Dalton is an established player on the Symetra Tour, which is staging the inaugural Copper Rock Championship this week.
The event is a homecoming for Dalton and Haley Sturgeon, a Dixie State University graduate who received a sponsor exemption to compete for the $200,000 purse Thursday through Saturday at Copper Rock Golf Club in Hurricane.
Kendra Dalton
As the fourth of 20 tournaments in 2021, the Copper Rock Championship is another opportunity for Dalton to move up the money list. She’s 3 for 3 in making 36-hole cuts and, while her final rounds could be better, she likes the way she’s playing.
Dalton won consecutive tournaments on the Cactus Tour in Arizona in February, when some members of both the LPGA and Symetra Tours were preparing for their seasons. Those performances reflected the work she has done with Milo Lines, a former Utah Section PGA member who’s now teaching at Superstition Mountain GC in Arizona.
“My game’s really good and I’m excited to play the whole year and I feel good about moving on and getting (LPGA) status,” Dalton said.
That would require finishing in the top 10 on the Symetra Tour money list; Dalton is No. 27 through three events.
Dream Come True
Sturgeon was thrilled when John Horton, Copper Rock’s head PGA professional, awarded her the exemption into the Copper Rock Championship. As she said in February, after Horton delivered the news on the driving range during the Utah Section PGA’s Winter Classic, the exemption “kind of just seemed like a far-fetched dream when I first asked John about it.”
Haley Sturgeon
Sturgeon, who works as an assistant pro at The Country Club of Salt Lake City, is making her first Symetra Tour appearance. “Hopefully, it’s not my last,” she said.
The Korn Ferry Tour, the men’s equivalent of the Symetra Tour, offers a spot in the next event to any player who finishes in the top 25. In Sturgeon’s case, she would have to win the Copper Rock Championship to gain any status. She’s embracing that opportunity, while eager to see how her game compares.
Here’s a good sign: Sturgeon finished solo fourth in the Cactus Tour event that Dalton won in a three-way playoff with two touring pros in Queen Creek, Arizona. That performance showed her that “I can compete with those girls, even though I don’t have status, and knowing that I belong here,” Sturgeon said.
Dalton is a BYU success story, having improved every year of her stay in Provo. She was known for consistency, finishing in the top 20 in 29 of 45 events for the Cougars. In her final three years, she won three tournaments and finished second seven times. She helped BYU reach the NCAA Championships as a sophomore in 2016, the same year when she beat teammate Lea Garner in the final match of the Women’s State Amateur at Victory Ranch.
And in 2018, she turned pro and immediately qualified for the Symetra Tour, via the LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. She made 21 starts in the 2019 season and finished 56th on the money list with $20,185. That showing became even more significant when the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the tour’s 2020 schedule to 10 events, while every player’s status was frozen through 2021.
In essence, golfers’ 2020 earnings didn’t matter, as everyone started over this season. That helped Dalton, who expects to thrive in her third year. “I know what the travel is like, I know a lot of the golf courses, I know how the tour kind of runs,” she said. “And all of it’s a little bit overwhelming your first year, because it’s so different from college golf; you’re kind of out there on your own trying to figure it out. So that definitely is a nice thing, to feel a little more at ease.”
Sturgeon hopes to feel comfortable in the Copper Rock Championship. She has done everything she could to prepare for her Symetra Tour debut, traveling to Hurricane several times in the past two months.
The former Haley Dunn is married to Davis Sturgeon, who she describes as “my kindergarten sweetheart.” She’s working steadily toward PGA membership, while trying to maximize her playing ability.
Before focusing on golf, Sturgeon was a high-level junior ski racer and a Layton High School cheerleader known as the “tumble queen.” Injuries led her to give up ski racing, and she considered cheerleading in college before pursuing golf at Utah Valley University and then Dixie State.
Sturgeon won two Pac-West Conference individual titles for DSU, helping the women’s golf program get established. She pointed to those St. George-area ties in asking for the sponsor exemption, and she’s determined to follow through with a good showing in the Copper Rock Championship. Dalton and Sturgeon are part of featured pairings in the first two rounds, as announced by the Symetra Tour. Dalton will tee off at 8:47 a.m. Thursday, playing with Rachel Rohanna and Gigi Stoll. Sturgeon plays at 12:05 p.m. with Katelyn Dambaugh and Sophie Hausman.
Story by Kurt Kragthorpe for Fairways Media, Photos by Cactus Tour/Noah Montgomery and Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.
Former Utah Section PGA President Chris Stover and Wasatch Pro Joe Barton teamed up and went low in the 2021 Utah PGA Spring Pro-Pro at Ogden Golf & Country Club April 20th to win with a Four-Ball score of (-8) 64.
Not only did they win the championship but they claimed the second seed in the 2021 Utah PGA Four-Ball Championship, behind 2020 champs Chris Moody and Mark Owen of Riverside Country Club and Mountain View Golf Course, who automatically claimed the top seed.
“I’ve been working really hard at it for years,” Barton said of his first professional win. “But to get it done with Chris was really fun. Everything just came together and to start the season with a 65 and a win, feels really good.”
Barton shot a (-7) 65 on his own ball, a new tournament personal record for the PGA associate.
“I can remember coaching Joe in high School at Manti while I was the Head Professional at Palisade,” Stover said. “Joe was so good yesterday that I kind of felt like I was coaching him again versus being his playing partner.
“It was a fun way to end my time as his boss at Wasatch, and just like yesterday on the course, the student has become the teacher. Joe has a bright future in golf and I’m proud of him!”
Davis County Director of Golf Dustin Volk and Valley View Head Pro Pete Stone tied for second place at (-6) 66 with Palisade Head Pro Jordan Van Orman and Sunset View Head Pro Casey Fowles.
Immediately following the completion of the Spring Pro-Pro, the first round of the season-long Four-Ball Championship began. The top 32 teams of the morning round advanced to match play.
Stover and Barton continued their hot play with a 5 & 4 win over Lynn Landgren and Brad Stone in the round of 32.
Number-one seed Owen and Moody also advanced to the round of 16 with a 5 & 4 win over Nate Olson and Tyler St Jeor.
Thank you to Bob Wallis, Craig Sarlo and the Ogden Golf & Country Club staff for hosting the Section membership for the day and thank you to Charley Carlson of JC Golf Accessories for sponsoring the event and supporting the Utah PGA.
Utah is for outdoor enthusiasts, no one knows this better than golfers. Set amongst the state’s natural wonders and wide-open spaces, Utah’s golf facilities, both privately and publicly owned, now more than ever, represent more than just a recreational pastime. Golf is a key industry contributing to the vitality of Utah’s economy.
Utah’s golf economy generates nearly a billion dollars of economic impact, supporting nearly 10,000 jobs and wage income of over $300 million.
The April issue of Utah PGA Monthly digital magazine is here!
In this issue we catch up with newly-retired Davis Park Head Professional Brad Stone, Timpanogos Head Professional Brett Watson, we meet some new faces in The Hideout Golf Club’s Jeff Simon & Toana Vista’s Charles Clinton and play This or That with Park Meadow’s Eric Johnson!
At the cusp of the Utah golf season the 2021 Utah Book of Golf has arrived and will appear in your home course pro shop in the coming days to guide you through a better Utah golf experience.
Whether you are a weekend warrior, an avid tournament participant or just picking up the game we all love, the Utah Book of Golf will help you navigate the Utah golf world and enjoy it even more.
“The Utah Book of Golf is the best way to know all things golf in Utah,” said Utah Section PGA Executive Director Devin Dehlin. “Facility listings and information at each course are right at your fingertips. And if you are trying to book your tournament schedule for the upcoming summer, this is your resource. Hope you all have a great season and thanks to all those who advertise and support the Book of Golf!”
As you flip through the 2021 edition, you’ll find awards presented to Utah PGA Professionals through the 2020 season and the Utah High School All-State teams.
If you play tournament golf, individually or with your favorite playing partners, you’ll love the all-encompassing tournament schedule that includes tournaments from the Utah State Amateur to your two-person scrambles.
The back half of the book includes information for every golf course in the state and contact information to book your next lesson with your local PGA Professional.
If you want to play more golf in 2021, the Utah Book of Golf will be your friend.
This article originally appeared in the March issue of Utah PGA Monthly digital magazine. To see the whole issue, click here.
Your skill as an instructor is something that is completely unique to you, something no one can duplicate. It is proven that as a golfer becomes more proficient at playing the game, they play more – golfers will always have the desire to play better. Teaching is a skill you can take with you wherever you go and will always be in high demand.
Here are three tips I have used throughout my career to build and maintain my teaching clientele:
Keep a detailed file on each student that includes student tendencies, strengths, weaknesses, drills and a baseline of where the student was when you began. Update the file following each lesson. This will enable you to accurately track a student’s progress and help you plan for future skill development. It demonstrates to the student that you are invested in helping them get better, which goes a long way to developing customer loyalty.
Communicate with your students regularly through social media, text and email. Sending bi-monthly or weekly swing tips, student achievements, new equipment, course or golf shop happenings, or feature common rules decisions are just a few ways to regularly communicate with students. Ask your students questions that require a response when formatting the posts. You are looking to engage with them in any way possible.
Sell lessons in monthly packages. Lesson packages for three, six or 12 months are successful throughout the country. Many players recognize that lasting improvement takes time. Creating the opportunity for players to meet with you weekly for an extended period allows the player to develop the critical skills necessary to truly improve
The tradition of holding the Utah Section PGA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet between rounds of the RMT/EZ-GO Winter Classic looked a little different this year. The meeting and banquet were held virtually the week prior, leaving members three days in Southern Utah to compete at Copper Rock, Sunbrook and Sand Hollow golf courses.
Sunset View Head Professional Casey Fowles stole the show with a final-round (-10) 62 at Sand Hollow Resort on February 11th to win the Winter Classic with 98 stableford points.
Not only did he start the final round five points behind first round leader Chris Stover, Wasatch Golf Course head professional, he passed the leaders and then some, winning by a total of 10 points. Riverside Teaching Pro Matt Baird and 2020 Player of the Year Joe Summerhays finished tied for second with 86 points.
“It’s funny,” Fowles said, “I started off on a par five, hole seven, barely ticked my drive, worm-burned a three wood up to the green, chipped it up and made a put. From there on I hit it really well and made some putts, it was fun. I just made a lot of those 10-12 footers you need to make to play well.”
Fowles round of 62 tied the Sand Hollow course record. His 41 points at Sunbrook and 57 at Sand Hollow were more than enough for the win to begin the new season.
“I’ve always kind of struggled in this tournament, so to come down and start the year like this is fun.”
The 2020 Utah PGA Omega Women’s Player of the Year Haley Sturgeon continued her stellar Section play with rounds of 72 – 71 at Sunbrook and Sand Hollow to win the Women’s Division with 81 points – which was also good enough to finish tied for fourth in the overall field.
The Country Club Assistant Professional Haley Sturgeon.
“It’s always great, it’s a confidence boost especially,” Sturgeon said of her win. “I play in the winter so I think it’s a great way to lead into those events and coming back into the spring hopefully I can keep it rolling.
“Being one of my home courses, I feel like I was able to take advantage of that. I took advantage of the drivable par fours, and things like that.”
To top off the excitement of a win, Sturgeon was surprised by Copper Rock Head Professional John Horton with an exemption into the Symetra Tour Copper Rock Championship on April 19-24th. As a member of the Cactus Tour, Sturgeon will look to gain some status on the Symetra Tour with a good performance.
New Section Associate and Hubbard Assistant Pro Xena Motes finished runner up with 50 points while Utah Section Assistant Executive Director Annie Fisher finished third with 39.
Doug Roberts also took advantage of a “home turf” tournament with a win in the Senior Division with 83 points, a six-shot win over 2020 Utah PGA Senior Omega Player of the Year Scott Brandt.
Entrada’s Doug Roberts hits his tee shot at Sand Hollow Resort.
“I was able to make six birdies yesterday and five today – that was the difference because I had some bogies thrown in there. But with stableford you just have to make a lot of birdies and I was fortunate enough to do that,” Roberts said.
“My friend Scott Brandt, he won player of the year and I see that as motivation for us St. George guys, to see if we can play in more events and get right up there with him and the guys up north.”
Meadow Brook Professional Stu Nelson bested the Super Senior division with steady play. He earned 41 points each day to win with 82 – racking up his first victory since the 2017 Winter Classic, also contested at Sand Hollow.
Meadow Brook’s Stu Nelson.
Rounding out the event in the Legends Division was Don Branca and Chip Garriss, who finished tied at the top with 69 points each. Ron Branca finished third with 67 points.
Thank you to Chad Kartchner of EMT/EZ-GO and Mike Stanger of Under Armour for sponsoring the event and supporting the Utah Section.
Thank you to John Horton at Copper Rock, Reed McArthur at Sunbrook and Adam Jasperson at Sand Hollow for hosting the Section membership and kicking off the 2021 season.
The board of directors and staff members of the Utah Section PGA prefer to give awards, rather than receive them. Yet from his vantage point as the Section president, Valley View Golf Course Head Professional Dustin Volk recognized that one of 2020’s awards needed to stay in-house.
Volk nominated the Section staff, led by Executive Director Devin Dehlin, for Governor’s Golf Industry Service Award. He didn’t have to do much convincing of the other voters.
“I think we have the best Section staff in the country, for all that they do,” said Section Vice President Kent McComb. “As Section officers, they just make our job so easy. It’s pretty impressive.”
The Section staff’s defining trait of 2020 is how so many PGA programs and events were staged in normal fashion, or as close to it as possible amid a pandemic. Two undertakings, in particular, reflected both the staff’s determination to stay on schedule and willingness to make adjustments.
In the absence of sanctioned high school girls golf tournaments, the Section conducted an individual competition (two separate events, actually) for players in each classification. And with the innovation of off-site pro-am events at Thanksgiving Point Golf Club, the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open stayed on track at Riverside Country Club.
Dehlin’s staff includes Annie Fisher, assistant executive director; Aaron Goodman, tournament director; Cecily Bloxham, office manager; Jesse Dodson, media and communications; and Cassie Campos, junior golf.
The late Doug Vilven may or may not have approved of the new Utah Section PGA annual award that carries his name, but he undoubtedly would have endorsed the first recipient.
Robert McArthur, now retired after serving as Riverside Country Club’s longtime head professional, shared Vilven’s commitment to educating PGA pros. They worked together for 25 years or more as faculty members in the PGA training program in what McArthur describes as an effort to “help people along the way; that’s what this business is all about.”
Of course, McArthur’s response to receiving an award for his service is to insist that his instructor’s role was partly self-serving.
“You kind of get reenergized, going out and teaching young golf professionals that are coming along,” he said. “It helps you to refocus on what you’re doing at your club.”
McArthur did his job well, for a long time. He was named the Section’s Professional of the Year in 1989, and his influence will be noticeable for years to come. Just look at recent Utah Section PGA awards. Craig Norman, a former Riverside assistant pro, was the 2019 Professional of the Year. Kent McComb, who succeeded Norman, is the 2020 Jeff Beaudry Golf Ambassador Award recipient. And to extend the McArthur tree, Joel Grose – Norman’s assistant at Hobble Creek Golf Course — is the 2020 Assistant Professional of the Year.
McArthur, directly or indirectly, had a lot to do with the way those pros approach their jobs. “Just knowing him has made me a better person,” McComb said.
