The Utah Section PGA Family would like to send our sincere condolences to the Watts family at this difficult time.
We couldn’t be more grateful for the relationship we had with Joe during his numerous years as the leader of the Utah Golf Association. His leadership allowed the UGA and the Utah PGA to collaborate on countless initiatives that made a difference in the Utah golf community.
A good leader is often defined as someone who leaves the world better than how you found it and Joe definitely did that in the Utah golf world.
The family has announced that there will be a “Celebration of Life” held in Joe’s honor later this spring.
On behalf of the 425 Utah PGA Members and Associates, THANK YOU!! May you rest in peace, Joe!
Nearly 150 people from 24 states bridged the generation gap at the inaugural PGA Family Golf Championship Dec. 9-10 at the La Quinta Resort & Golf Club.
The field consisted of 60-plus families. Teams comprised of some combination of mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, uncles, aunts, and grandparents enjoyed the ideal weather and picturesque views of the Pete Dye Mountain and Dunes courses.
Utah PGA Member Dave DeSantis (Golf Galaxy), his wife Holly and grandson Gordie Gatrell (middle three in top photo) won the PGA Professional Division at even par on the Pete Dye Mountain and Dunes courses.
Each team consisted of at least one adult and one junior. A modified alternate shot format required an adult and junior each to hit a tee shot. The pair selected the best of the two and from there played alternate shots until the ball was holed.
For participating, each player received adidas pullovers and hats, and each team received a photo in a PGA Family Golf Championship frame. They also were treated to a pizza and pasta party after the first day of competition with a taco truck and ice cream provided at the conclusion of the competition.
PGA Family Golf launched nationally in 2022. It was inspired by the innovative and welcoming team-based format of the PGA of America’s successful PGA Jr. League program. PGA Family Golf brings family members of all ages and skill levels together on multi-generational teams, each comprising 2-4 players, with a minimum of one adult and one junior. Local programs are hosted exclusively by PGA and LPGA Professionals.
For more information on the 2024 PGA Family Golf Championship, click here.
Congratulations to the 2023 Utah PGA Rolex Players of the Year. It has been another fantastic season of championship golf and we applaud your efforts and excellent accomplishments throughout the year.
CASEY FOWLES-UTAH PGA ROLEX PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Casey Fowles occasionally checked the standings, although he never put any pressure on himself to win a third straight Rolex Player of the Year award in the Utah Section PGA.
He just kept playing good golf, and the results again went his way in what evolved into a healthy, three-way competition in 2023. Fowles finished with 5,752.5 points to 5,327.5 for Zach Johnson and 5,189.67 for Tommy Sharp.
The latest title “means a lot,” Fowles said, “because those guys have been good for a long time.”
They would say the same about Fowles, the Head PGA Professional at Sunset View Golf Course in his hometown of Delta. At age 39, the former UNLV golfer (who started his college career at the University of Utah) was proud to finish 2023 strong, amid the usual ups and downs of a golf season.
After winning The Oaks Open in May, Fowles tied for first (with Johnson) in the Mountainland Valley View Open in August. He then finished second among Section pros in the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open (70-68-69) and tied for first in the Willow Creek Open, posting a 70.
“Valley View’s treated me really well over the years,” Fowles said. “Willow Creek was a big one too. Willow Creek was set up really good and tough. That was one of my best rounds all year.”
As a head pro trying to maintain an elite-level golf game, “It’s tough to balance everything,” Fowles said. A supportive family helps make it possible; so does his ability to focus on what he’s doing at the moment.
MARK OWEN-UTAH PGA ROLEX SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mark Owen is not being greedy when he mentions the biggest tournament title that got away from him in 2023. At this point, as a three-time winner of the Rolex Senior Player of the Year award in the Utah Section PGA, he’s allowed to have high standards of performance.
So he’ll keep thinking about the final round of the Mel Duke Utah Senior Open at Toana Vista GC, where Joe Summerhays stormed ahead of him with a closing 66 to top Owen’s 72 after they were tied for the lead.
Otherwise, Owen was the one dusting the competition throughout the season. He finished with 7,741.83 points to 5,450 for runner-up Steve Schneiter, during a year when his game “all kind of came together,” Owen said.
Owen, the Head PGA Professional of Mountain View GC, tied for first place in The Oaks Open. He won the Senior Match Play Championship in a great duel with Scott Brandt at Willow Creek Country Club, took the Senior Section Championship by posting 69-70 at Hobble Creek GC and was the low senior in the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open at Riverside CC (71-71-73).
”It’s always fun to win the big ones,” Owen said. “That’s kind of what I shoot for, mostly.”
And that’s why Owen appreciates the Section staff and host pros who stage such high-level events, keeping him motivated to maintain a sharp game. He also has figured out how to do that, while being devoted to his job in Salt Lake County Golf, while being thankful for his two assistant pros, including Dustin Pimm, the Section’s Assistant Professional of the Year.
HALEY STURGEON-UTAH PGA ROLEX WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR
For once, Haley Sturgeon had some competition in the race for the Rolex Women’s Player of the Year award in the Utah Section PGA. She also had some accompaniment.
In the Sturgeon family, 2023 will be remembered as the year when Haley played some great golf as a twosome. Her expected delivery of a child in December created an interesting dynamic, while she won a fifth straight season title.
Emily Jones, her colleague at The Country Club in Salt Lake City, made a strong challenge to Sturgeon’s reign. Do the math: The duel came down to the final match of the Women’s Match Play at Alpine Country Club in mid-October. If not for Sturgeon’s 6-and-5 victory, Jones would have become the Player of the Year. Sturgeon finished with 4,375 points to 4,162.5 for Jones.
Playing so well during her pregnancy was “very special,” Sturgeon said. “It was a constant reminder that no matter what happens in your golf game, just let it go because bigger things are ahead.”
Sturgeon was happy to stay healthy enough to play regularly in tournaments and she was at her best in the Women’s Match Play, dominating all three opponents.
”Playing good golf while being almost eight months pregnant was incredible,” she said, “and I will keep that feeling with me when I play while I’m not pregnant.”
Sturgeon also finished first in the Brigham City Open, the Mountainland Valley View Open, the Willow Creek Open and the Intro-Lend Davis Park Open.
BRAYDON SWAPP-UTAH PGA ROLEX ASSISTANT PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Braydon Swapp may wish he could have saved his best round of the year for Sunday in the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open in August, instead of using it to finish the EMT/EZGO Winter Classic in February.
Even so, both experiences created some good memories of a season when Swapp repeated as the Rolex Assistant Player of the Year in the Utah Section PGA.
He’s proud of that closing 67 amid tough conditions at Copper Rock Golf Course in the Winter Classic and he loved having Keaton Woodland as his caddie while contending in the Utah Open. Swapp earned 1,200 points for finishing as low Section member at Riverside Country Club, shooting 67-69-69. He finished with 4,396.5 points to 3,156.67 for runner-up Aaron Purviance.
In addition to the Winter Classic, Swapp finished first in the Southern Utah Open in November 2022, launching his Player of the Year run. He tied for second in The Oaks Open and tied for third in the Utah Section PGA Assistant Championship at Hobble Creek GC.
In the Utah Open, “I couldn’t get the putter hot enough the last day,” Swapp said, “but it’s always exciting to be in contention in one of the biggest tournaments we play all year as Section pros.”
As he pursues a playing career while working as an assistant pro at The Barn GC, Swapp appreciates the support of his family and friends. And the opportunity to play in tournaments amid his work schedule is “something I don’t take for granted,” he said. “I’m grateful to be able to play the game I love and compete against other high-level players in the Section.”
2023 Utah PGA Rolex Player of the Year profiles written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photos by Fairways Media.
The PGA of America released the statement below today regarding the USGA and R&A’s decision to revise golf ball testing conditions:
We appreciate that the USGA and R&A ran a collaborative and patient process over the past several years. We are particularly gratified that they heard our concerns regarding the significant operational challenges bifurcation would have presented and are no longer considering a local rule regarding the ball for elite players. We are also pleased that the proposed change to the ball has been delayed until 2028 for elite players and 2030 for recreational golfers. Given the important role our nearly 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals play in the recreational game, having more time to adjust to the new rule is helpful.
We remain opposed to any change that may potentially lessen the enjoyment of the game for recreational golfers or diminish the unprecedented momentum the game is enjoying. It appears recreational golfers will see a greater reduction in distance than we would advise. While this decrease has been lessened, we continue to recommend being more moderate on the swing speed change for the golf ball conformance test.
At this time, we continue to have concerns and look forward to continuing this important conversation and finding resolution with all of our golf industry partners.
We value our relationship with the USGA and R&A and respect their role as administrators of the Rules of Golf and the equipment standards of the game. We will continue to share our feedback on this, and any topic that affects our PGA of America Golf Professionals and the countless number of golfers they coach and welcome into the game each year.
Every year the Utah Section PGA is proud to recognize individuals who go above and beyond in our golf community. We are fortunate to have so many people who dedicate their time and talents to the growth of the game. We congratulate all of them on a job well done.
On behalf of the Utah Section PGA officers and awards committee, we present the 2023 Utah Section PGA Award winners:
Professional of the Year – Jeff John, Logan River
Teacher of the Year – Jake Blair, Victory Golf Works
Youth Player Development Leader – Tele Wightman, Thanksgiving Point
Assistant Golf Professional of the Year – Dustin Pimm, Mountain View
PGA Professional Development Award – Jared Barnes, Cedar Ridge
Merchandiser of the Year-Private Facility – Chris Moody, Riverside Country Club
Merchandiser of the Year-Public Facility – Jordan Van Orman, Palisade
Player Development Award – Bruce Summerhays, Glenmoor
Jeff Beaudry Golf Ambassador Award – Aaron Goodman, Utah Section Office
Bill Strausbaugh Award – Chris Johnson, Sun Hills
Wesley Ruff Golf Citizen Award – Garrit Johnson, Fairways Media
Jon Unger Sales Person of the Year – Phil Deimling, FootJoy
Doug Vilven Distinguished Service Award – Dan Roskelley, Retired
Superintendent of the Year- Private Facility – Eric Gifford, The Country Club
Superintendent of the Year- Public Facility – Jason Moon, Hubbard
Governor’s Golf Industry Service Award – Jackie Price, Wendover Casinos
They saved their golf course, and now they’re headed to the inaugural 17u National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship. For a group of 14-to-16-year-olds, they’ve already accomplished a lot, and the future is bright. Today’s opening day live scoring link, Click Here.
Led by PGA of America Golf Professional Darci Olsen, the 17u All-Star team out of Glenmoor Golf Club in South Jordan, Utah, has been many years in the making.
“We have worked for a long time on this,” said Olsen, the PGA of America Head Golf Professional at Glenmoor. “I have been on board with PGA Jr. League since the beginning. I love that these kids have been with me since 2017, and now we’re headed to a National Championship.”
In fact, 2017 was a landmark year for Glenmoor Golf Club. Olsen had only accepted her role a year prior amidst a dispute between the owners, and devastating news of an impending sale and conversion to a residential development began to spread.
Her PGA Jr. League players weren’t going to stand by and let that happen.
Olsen invited the Mayor and City Council members to attend a PGA Jr. League game, where she says, “their eyes were opened on how important and impactful our golf facility was and is to our youth, families and community.”
Thanks to the city’s youngest influencers and the overwhelming public support they helped garner, the course was saved––and it continues to thrive under Olsen’s leadership. Her in-house PGA Jr. League program has grown to over 200 players, from true beginners to seasoned competitors, and it averages roughly 20 teams per season.
“We have some great coaches, players and parents that are a part of our Glenmoor family,” she said. “With the demand, we have added a nine-month PGA Jr. League travel team that starts in January. This year was the first, and it was a success!”
“PGA Jr. League played a much larger role in keeping Glenmoor a golf course than anyone truly realizes,” Olsen continued. “I attribute saving the course to our PGA Jr. League program. It is such a big part of my life and our community. It’s so awesome to now fast forward to 2023 and be taking these same kids to a National Championship. They deserve it!”
Team Utah consists of six competitive veterans:
Parker Goodman, 16, a member of his high school’s varsity team who can be found competing in the Glenmoor Men’s League with his dad, PGA of America Golf Professional Aaron Goodman.
Ian Miyasaki, 15, the 2023 Glenmoor Men’s Club Champion and Junior Club Champion.
Jaxon Erickson, 16, who won the 2022 Utah Junior PGA Championship and represented Utah in the 2023 Eddie Hogan Cup.
Elliot Bond, 16, ranked 450th nationally on the Junior Golf Scoreboard and 100th in the 2025 class, who has made the 6A All-State and All-Region Teams all three years of high school.
Jared McCleary, 16, who notched a career low of 62, finished fifth in 5A State, second in the Region and made the 5A All-State First Team.
Krew Saunders, 14, who made the varsity golf team as a freshman, won several U.S. Kids Golf events this season and won the B Flight in the Glenmoor Amatuer.
The bond Olsen has formed with her team and their families is a testament to the community she’s worked so hard to build through PGA Jr. League. It can be summed up perfectly by an anecdote at the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Regional Championship in September, where the team’s win clinched their spot in the 17u Championship.
“One of the parents came up to me and said that his son, Elliot Bond, and teammate, Jaxon Erickson, wanted to win so badly for me, their coach,” Olsen said. “They know how much I love this program and have wanted this. It means so much to me for these kids to want to work hard for me. One of the greatest highlights of my career.”
Written by By Hayley Wilson, Published onPGA.com, Wednesday, November 15, 2023
A spot in the 2024 PGA Professional Championship at PGA Frisco is on the line as the 47th National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship tees off tomorrow at PGA Golf Club Wanamaker Courtse in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
The 132-player field includes Utah PGA Members Tyler Dalton (Southgate GC), Aaron Purviance (Red Ledges GC) and Evan Wartgow (Park Meadows CC). They qualified for the national championship with their finish in this year’s Utah Assistant PGA Assistant Championship at Hobble Creek Golf Course.
The four-day 72-hole stroke play championship will be cut to the low 70 players and ties after 36-holes. The top four finishers and ties will earn exemptions into the 2024 National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship. Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ye298w8n
As the month of November kicks off, and Veterans Day looms large on Nov. 11, it seems fitting to recognize what’s become one of the most special weeks of the year on the PGA of America calendar: PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week.
This year’s edition took place Oct. 12-16 in the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C., at Congressional Country Club in nearby Bethesda. Twenty military Veterans around the country, graduates of their local PGA HOPE programs, participated in an immersive five-day event including advanced golf coaching from PGA of America Golf Professionals and wellness training that culminated in a golf outing at the legendary venue.
Jayme Turner’s U.S. Army experience on the front lines taught him the value of preparation. Those pre-combat checks and inspections can apply to getting ready for a round of golf.
Yet in his role as a Utah’s PGA HOPE Ambassador, representing the Utah Section PGA, Turner believes that what happens afterward is now his biggest job.
After veterans complete the eight-session golf experience, Turner said, “It’s my responsibility to work the network and keep the guys together. We’ve got to maintain some kind of connection.”
Turner participated in the PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week, his biggest takeaway was playing a course “like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” he said. “The fairways were like greens.”
Commissioned as a PGA HOPE Ambassador, he promised to fulfill the duties of “a champion for PGA HOPE” in Utah. Turner is a graduate of Utah PGA Member Rob Kreiger’s PGA Hope sessions at Southgate Golf Club in St. George.
“He is all in on golf and PGA HOPE and is completely hooked on the game,” Krieger said. “We could not have nominated anyone any better that is so excited to be in and around golf. … PGA HOPE has been transformational for Jayme and I could not be happier for his active participation and how he will be helping us grow our programs.”
This Veterans Day, GIVE WITH PURPOSE! Join us in celebrating our nation’s heroes who protect our freedom, while raising awareness and support for Utah PGA HOPE programs. Raising funds for PGA HOPE will allow us to create additional PGA HOPE sessions for veterans, like Jayme Turner, across the state.
Utah PGA Members Jeff Brehaut and Steve Schneiter have qualified for the 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship after earning top 10 finishes over the weekend at the Senior PGA Professional Championship at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Brehaut and Schneiter are two of the 35 PGA of America Golf Professionals who have punched their ticket to senior golf’s oldest major. The 35 Professionals make up the 2024 Corebridge Financial PGA Team that will compete at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan next May.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – OCTOBER 29: Jeff Brehaut hits his tee shot on the first hole of the Wanamaker Course during the final round of the Senior PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club on Sunday, October 29, 2023 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Raj Mehta/PGA of America)
Park City resident Brehaut, a Utah PGA Life Member, finished tied for fourth place with a 5-under 282 total on rounds of 73-71-68-70.
Schneiter Pebblebrook’s Steve Schneiter, a former Senior PGA Professional Championship winner and last year’s runner-up, shot (-1) 67-73-75-71 – 286 to finish tied for 9th place Sunday.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – OCTOBER 26: Steve Schneiter watches his tee shot on the fourth hole of the Ryder Course during the first round of the Senior PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club on Thursday, October 26, 2023 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Raj Mehta/PGA of America)
Missing the 54-hole cut by 1-stroke was Davis County Director of Golf Dustin Volk. Other Utah PGA Senior Professionals to compete this year were Senior Match Play and Section Champion Mark Owen (Mountain View), Scott Brandt (Bloomington), Todd Tanner (InMotion Junior Golf), Joe Summerhays (Oakridge) and Dave DeSantis (Golf Galaxy).
PGA Director of Instruction at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club (Powell, Ohio) Bob Sowards won the championship with a six-stroke lead with a final round 6-under 66 on the Wanamaker Course Oct. 29th to finish at 15-under, 272. The win is the second Senior PGA Professional Championship title for Sowards who previously claimed the Leo Fraser Trophy in 2018. He is just the seventh player to win the title twice.
Utah PGA Section members will tee off Oct. 26 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida in the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship presented by Cadillac and supported by Golf Channel.
The field of 264 PGA senior professionals includes Utah PGA members Scott Brandt, Jeff Brehaut, Dave DeSantis, Mark Owen, Steve Schneiter, Joe Summerhays, Todd Tanner and Dustin Volk.
Schneiter is a past champion of the event, winning in 2016 and was last year’s runner-up. Owen (cover photo) is this year’s Utah PGA Senior Match Play champion and Senior Section champion.
Utah PGA Executive Director Devin Dehlin said, “We want to wish the Utah PGA members the best of luck this week at the Senior PGA Professional Championship. We have a solid group representing Utah in this national championship and have no doubt we will be well represented.”
In the 72-hole championship players compete for the Leo Fraser Trophy, named after the 16th president of the PGA of America and for a share of the $335,000 total purse including the winner’s share of $27,000.
Jeff BrehautDave DeSantisDustin VolkSteve SchneiterJoe SummerhaysScott BandtTodd Tanner
Additionally, the top 35 finishers will be named to the Corebridge Financial PGA Team and advance into the field for the 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship May 23-26 at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
The top five finishers also gain an exemption into the final stage of the 2024 PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying School. The top eight finishers, including ties, will automatically qualify for the 2024 Senior PGA Professional Championship at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon, Sept. 26-29.
Each player will compete on PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker and Ryder courses on Thursday and Friday before a cut to the low 90 scorers and ties. Following Saturday’s round, a second cut will be made to the low 70 scorers and ties. The third and final rounds will be contested solely on the Wanamaker course.
The Senior PGA Professional Championship began in 2006 to provide additional playing opportunities for PGA of America Golf Professionals who are 50 and older. It has become a showcase event featuring some of the finest players in the Association.
For Round 1 & 2 starting times and more information about the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship, visit here.